Tucker's Secret
by Jarris Shepard
Summary: Malcolm has a secret.


Tucker's Secret

The Thick of It

Malcolm Tucker/OC

M

Disclaimer: I don't own The Thick of It or In the Loop or any of it's characters. They are the property of BBC and Armando Iannucci, and I mean no infringement upon their rights.

I envision Malcolm Tucker as quite different in his home life and as a private person, Very protective of his private life, to the extent that he would have a personal life completely hidden from his work persona and the people he associates with it. Even going so far as to display a façade of being a bachelor for the people at the office. I hope I do it justice here. The story is told in turns as remembrance from Malcolm's POV and somewhat the POV of Emmaline one of my OCs and in the presentish day just after Malcolm's Legal battles stemming from the Goolding Inquiry.

-TToI-

Malcolm Tucker hadn't been home, from his last day in court, for more than an hour before his doorbell was buzzing. He sighed and went to see who was there. It was one of the faces he'd never thought to be unhappy to see. Jamie MacDonald was standing before his door looking somewhere between reluctant and relieved. Malcolm sighed and opened the door. "MacDonald, what ya want? Come to gloat?"

"No, I just wanted to talk a bit. Glad you got the acquittal."

"Yeah, damned hard to prove, perjury, no thanks to you." He leaned against the door frame. "You know I expected something like that from the little wankstain, Ollie, but not you. The one person in that shite hole I thought had my back."

"I know, and I want to talk about that too. I've resigned over it all. I didn't want things to go down the way that they did. I'm headed home, and wanted to clear the air before it's done." Malcolm thought it over, and then walked back into the house. Jamie took it for an invitation, and followed closing the door behind. He was led into Malcolm's den, and found the older man seated in a chair waiting on him with a bottle of single malt.

"I'm done with all that too, Jamie. I think we were good enough friends or at least a good enough team to work this all out while I wait for what's coming." Malcolm said it like he knew what that was. He was more at ease than Jamie had ever seen the man. He wasn't quite sure how to react to him in this mood.

"I'm fuckin' sorry, Malcolm. I don't even know who I am anymore. Glad you got off though. I was a mite worried for a bit there." He felt as contrite as he sounded.

Malcolm was grinning a bit ruefully. "You weren't the only one. Can't believe I fucked up that badly. Made me realize it was time to get out, should have done when they sacked me the first time. I should've cut my losses and swallowed my damnable pride, and told them to fuck off." Malcolm was shaking his head and staring into the amber liquid still in his tumbler. He downed the rest with nary a grimace at the burn that must be making it's way, all the way, down. It was really good scotch. The two men sat silent for a bit, and just when Jamie had decided to break the silence he was interrupted by the pitter-patter of unsteady feet on the wood of the floor.

Jamie watched in shocked awe as a tiny girl not more than two years old, with dark, curly hair, swarmed in like she belonged here, and demanded Malcolm's attention. The most shocking thing about it was the absolute delight that lit his friend's face. "What are you doing here, my little Piper?" Before the girl answered a second child, just a bit older maybe four or five, and a boy, also with dark curls on his head, rushed in and perched on Malcolm's other knee to demand equal time. Malcolm pulled the boy in too. "Simon, my lad. I've missed you." Then a pair of smooth, soft hands slid over Malcolm's shoulders and down his chest from behind.

A feminine chuckle pulled Jamie's attention from the kids bouncing in excitement on Malcolm's lap. The hands belonged to a woman standing behind Malcolm. She was bent forward and in a long coat, so Jamie couldn't make out more than she had a softly rounded face, dark hair matching the kids, pulled back messily, dark eyes, and she was smiling. "Two very important little Tuckers missed their dad, and I couldn't deny them any longer, my heart." Her voice was low and honeyed, and Jamie didn't miss that her accent was very American. "I've missed him too, you know?"

Malcolm gently shifted the kids from his lap, and stood to pull the woman around into a tight embrace. "I've only just got home. You should have waited a few more days, Em, the reporters are still ravenous." His statement was undermined when he melded his lips with hers ardently. He pulled back eventually and caressed her face. "Fuck-all if I haven't missed you, my love." Jamie watched the hand come down to caress the now noticeable bulge under her coat. "How's number three, then?"

"I think we've got a little rugby player in here." She grinned at him. "Maybe a little Peirce?" Malcolm made a noncommittal sound to the name, and she turned pleading eyes to his.

"Well, can't win them all I suppose. If we have another boy, then." Malcolm was smiling that unfamiliar smile again, when her eyes lit up and she kissed him again in pure joy. Jamie was stunned; gawping from the two children, the younger being corralled by the older, to the couple still completely wrapped up in one another's presence.

"I think we've interrupted. I'll take the kids up and get us unpacked." She stated softly.

"Hold on a moment." Malcolm turned his attention back to Jamie, and Jamie noticed that there was a contentment that he'd never before seen in Malcolm Tucker as he presented the woman to him. "Jamie MacDonald, I'd like you to meet my wife, Emmaline." Jamie quickly found his feet to take the woman's offered hand. She was at least a head shorter than Malcolm, and rounded with the mentioned pregnancy.

"The infamous Jamie?" She asked looking back to her husband. Husband? Malcolm Tucker had a wife, and no one at the office had a clue about her. No one knew about the kids either, but Jamie wasn't able to process the wife yet. There was no way he'd try to get his head round the fact that his long time partner in bollocking had two young children and a third on the way. Jamie felt like he'd been hit over the head with a cricket bat.

Malcolm was chuckling now. "Have another shot, Mate. It'll settle in your head soon enough." Malcolm's hands were stroking his wife's arms, as though he was incapable of not touching her when she was near enough.

"Well, it's good to finally be able to meet you, Mr. MacDonald." She was warm with her greeting.

"Jamie, please. I'd say the same if I'd known anything about your existence." He was still struggling and it brought a laugh from Em.

"Jamie then, I'm Emma to most people, so feel free. Really, I insist, I hate my full name." She turned back to Malcolm and poked his ribs. "And my husband knows that." Malcolm let out a huff and a pained sound. She was grinning as she pulled Malcolm down for another searing kiss. "Come on, kids, Dad's busy. Let's get things settled upstairs." She took the little girl's hand and headed out of the room trailed shortly by her son, who was waylaid by a tight hug from Malcolm.

"Well, old friend. I think it's time I let you in on the biggest secret in my life." Malcolm was smiling at him again.

"That's one hell of a secret, Malc." He shook his head. "Why keep it a secret anyway?"

"To stop them being hounded by the press mostly. Em works as sign language instructor in DC, and I didn't want their life tainted by the fuck-office." Malcolm answered straightforwardly. "I'm rather a different person when I'm not on the job."

"Am I the only one whot knows?" Jamie was still finding it hard to accept.

"Sam knows, and Tom knew. She really is a fucking great PA. She helped, over the years, getting me more time to visit them in the States. It hasn't been easy, but the daft woman loves me, I suppose. Em that is. She just won't give me up." He poured them another drink. "Sit down. I'll tell you all of it, as it were. You can have dinner with us." Jamie did sit then, and listened as Malcolm started talking.

The restaurant was not five star, but the food was. It was a little off the beaten path for someone not a native of the D.C. area, but in certain circles word of mouth was better than a high profile review. The atmosphere was pleasant. Not silent, but neither was it rowdy. There were a couple of small groups that were a bit louder than everyone. They were mostly confined to the bar area and whooping over some sport. There was a pair of women seated at a table near the center of the restaurant area. The skinny blonde was loud enough that most of the room knew by now that she was upset that her son was spending his first weekend away at his father's place. She'd alternated between cursing the man and lamenting her son's absence. She got louder with every glass of wine she consumed, whilst ignoring the plate of food before her. Her dark-haired companion was mostly unsuccessfully trying to keep Blondie in check.

Malcolm Tucker, jacket doffed on a side chair and tie loosened, was seated alone at a small table enjoying a celebratory meal. He'd just gotten word that his scheme had worked and he was now Director of Communications for the Prime Minister of Great Britain. He had been working toward this for a number of years now. He'd easily ignored the distractions in favor of working through, not only his plate of grilled Moroccan chicken and couscous, but the folder of files that was ever present in his life these days. He had three days of meetings left here in DC, and then would be back to London to start the process of moving offices and jumping right in the thick of it polishing the party line in the new job.

There was a sudden jostle of his chair and a splash of red wine blossomed down his shirt and onto the table. "What the bloody fuck!?" Was his automatic unfiltered response as he got to his feet quickly before the wine now on the table spilled over onto his trousers.

"Oh, Jesus, I'm so sorry. Sal, go sit your sloshy ass down." It was the dark-haired woman and her drunken friend. "God, I'm sorry for her. Let me pick up your tab to apologize. She's too out of it to offer." The woman sounded mortified.

"No, it's fine." He grumbled thanking god his suit jacket had been draped along the extra seat at his table.

"Well, then at least let me give you some cash for the cleaning of your shirt. I'm really, so sorry." She said ignoring her friend trying to get her attention.

"I doubt you could afford that, Darlin'. It's a Gucci suit." He didn't make it sound boastful, just a fact.

"Oh, you'd be surprised. I'm more well off than you might think being in here. As I suspect you are too, Mister Gucci Suit. Please, I insist," She was dabbing the wine on his files with a handful of napkins. He was actually impressed that she knew the correct way to dry the files, "I shouldn't have let her drink so much. Let me do something to make this up to you, please." She was more focused on getting his files dry than on him, and he took the moment to study her.

She was dressed stylishly, but not extravagantly so. Her hair was wavy and a rich brown like a fresh plowed field after a good rain, and was piled on her head in a fetching style. Her eyes were the color of his favorite coffee, a brown so deep it was almost black. She looked mid-twenties, so a bit young for him being on the upper side of his thirties. She was rather short and slim, but not skinny like her friend. He would describe her as svelte. This young woman had curves to spare. He approved of the skirt suit she was wearing. It was professional, but not drab with a shimmering, mocha blouse beneath the deep blue blazer. She was wearing a matching pair of flats. He found he quite liked the view.

"No, it's fine. Really, accidents happen and I should've been more mindful of my surroundings. Thank you, though." He was annoyed, but she wasn't the one who'd just ruined a rather expensive dress shirt.

"Okay then, I can take a hint, I'll leave you alone. It's the least I can do." She gave him a light, apologetic smile, and returned to the table where her friend was still guzzling wine. He could hear her speaking briefly. "Okay, Sal. I know it's a shit weekend for you, but I'm cutting you off. Jesus-fuck, Sally, he's got a pass for the goddamn white house."

"Lotsa people got those. Just take a tour." Blondie slurred.

"Not that kind of pass, honey. More like an ambassador's pass." The non-drunken one stated, and then the conversation quieted. Tucker went back to his wine-stained files and his mostly finished meal. The ladies passed him once more, the shorter friend keeping a firm hand on the blonde's arm to steer her away from him as they made their way to pay. "I'm sorry again, Sir." He merely nodded in acknowledgment. She dropped a folded paper onto his table. "The name of my dry cleaners. They might get the stain out. My number is there, you can have them send me the bill."

"I'm not letting you bloody pay for it." He insisted. "Stop apologizing and just take care of your friend, there. Looks like she's having it a bit rough." He argued further.

"Stubborn man." She made it a curse.

"I don't know if you noticed the accent, I'm Scottish, stubborn is sort of what we do." He was actually chuckling now. "Tell you what if you're really determined to make it up to me, buy me dinner. Here. Tomorrow at," he hummed as he thought it over, "eight o'clock, and tell me your name."

"Emmaline Shay, but Emma please. ASL interpreter and instructor, and it's a date." She stated holding out her hand for a shake.

"Oh, no, can't be a date if you're paying." He took her hand and turned it until he was cupping it and bent over it to place a chaste kiss to her knuckles. When he looked back up to her face he found it the most charming shade of blush that he thought he'd ever seen.

"Okay then, a not date that I'm paying for, and I'll see you here at eight." She still hadn't pulled her hand from his and he grinned.

"Good. I'll look forward to it." He finally let go of her hand. "I'm Malcolm, by the way, Malcolm Tucker. Newly the Director of Communications for the Prime Minister of Great Britain."

"Oh, right, not sure what that is exactly, but it sounds impressive." She was flustered now, and he found it delightful. No harm in a little flirt, anyway. "Sorry again, but I should really pour Sally into the back of my car and get her home." The woman mentioned was slumping over Emma sloppily.

"Could you use a hand?" Malcolm found himself offering.

"Oh, no, we've ruined enough of your evening. I've handled her in this sorry state before. Not since college, mind you, but I think I can remember what to do." She was smiling indulgently now at some thought, and he found it utterly charming.

"Until tomorrow then." He stated.

"Okay. See you then." She smiled amiably this time, and he felt himself warming to this young woman in a way he hadn't in quite some time. Then they were gone.

Emmaline Shay got her dearest friend Sally Morris into the backseat of the car and belted in. She was thinking only about the tall, Scottish drink of handsome though, and she was having dinner with him tomorrow. "Not a date my ass." She muttered as she got the car started. She hadn't been out with anyone, other than Sally and she didn't exactly count as a date, in ages. She found herself looking forward to it. He said it wasn't a date, but it felt like one to her. She couldn't help but think of the man himself.

He was a little older than she was, but damn if he wasn't good looking. Not a GQ model maybe, but she'd never been one for conventionally handsome men anyway. The truth was he was a little too tall, and a little to spindly too, and his eyes had been quite angry after the wine had splashed him. He filled out that tailored suit nicely though, and that smile was sinful. Once the anger faded his eyes had been intensely intelligent and an intriguing shade of blued-steel. She wondered if they'd still be that color if he changed the color of his clothes or was in a different mood. He had a strong aquiline, even roman, nose and a set of brows that were independently expressive. At first those brows conveyed his annoyance and displeasure at being drenched in wine, but had been charmingly playful when he'd been flirting with her there at the end.

She fully intended to enjoy dinner tomorrow. If things went well, she promised herself, she'd angle for an actual date. Her thoughts were rudely interrupted, when she pulled up to Sally's apartment building, at the sight of a familiar vehicle out front. Zane was standing outside the car looking livid. "Sal, you sobered up yet?" She glanced in the rearview. Sally was passed out drooling on her own shoulder and the car's upholstery. "Yeah, didn't think so. Fuck a duck!"

She pulled in and parked in an overnight space because there was no way she'd leave seven-year-old Sean at home alone with his passed out mother. She mused on the fact that there wasn't a question in her mind that Zane was here to drop Sean back home, and she was going to have to deal with Zane. She made sure that Sally was comfortable and shut off the engine before exiting the car. Zane was already heading for her. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Well, hello to you to, Zane. Shouldn't you be home trying to get to know your son?" She asked him caustically.

"Yeah, I tried that, he won't talk to me." Zane sounded annoyed.

"Sean's deaf, he doesn't actually talk, Zane. You have to sign with him." Her statement practically oozed sarcasm and disdain.

"I fucking know that! I tried to, he wouldn't sign back to me." Emma just shook her head.

"Have you thought that maybe it's because he doesn't really know you, Zane? He didn't want to go with you tonight. He didn't want to go to the earlier meetings, and he's pissed because of it. I tried telling you it was too soon, Sally begged you to wait a while. Fucking deal with it!" Her voice had risen and passers by were gawking.

"I am dealing with it. I brought him home, didn't I?"

"Yeah, that's a real mature way to deal with an obstinate child, Zane. Take him back to mom so you can run away again. Like you did when you guys found out he would be deaf. Tell me something, what was the point of all this bull shit if you were just gonna fucking give up? I mean do you just enjoy causing emotional trauma in seven-year-olds or what?" Her hands were gesticulating wildly and she was screaming in his face by then end of the tirade.

"Fuck you, Emma! How is anything in Sally or Sean's life your business anyway?"

"Yeah truth hurts, huh? By the way, you made their lives my business when you ran out on my best friend and the son you created with her. It left me to pick up the pieces. Do them and yourself a favor, either man up and take him back to your place or leave him here and don't come back, ever. They've made it this long without you, just fuck off and find yourself another girl and have a kid with her that you don't think is broken. Forget about Sean and Sally and move on. I figured it, Zane. I know exactly why, all of the sudden, you came back into their lives after seven years of nothing. It's not really your idea. Well, tell your bitch mother to go fuck herself and to concentrate on her other grandchildren. If she really cared about Sean then she'd have had the balls to call or come visit when he was born, or when he had the first surgery to try correcting his hearing, or the second. Or when he learned to walk or read or when he signed his first word, or maybe when he broke his arm last year at school."

Nate was looking at her in disbelief. "You really don't like me anymore do you."

"I don't respect you. There's a difference, but in general, no, I don't like people I don't respect. The two tend to go hand in hand." She took a deep breath and let it out slow. "If you leave, Zane, just don't come back unless you really want to put in the effort to being a family. I love Sean like he is my own kid, and I hate seeing him in pain like he's been. Okay."

"Look, you're right, I never planned on coming back into their lives. I don't want another kid, I didn't want Sean. His deafness was just the last straw. I'm not gonna waste time with promises you won't believe, but I am leaving him here and I'm gone. Moving to somewhere else." He gave up his anger knowing it wasn't doing anything to provoke her any longer. She didn't care enough about him to stay angry if it wasn't to protect Sean.

"Then lets get him out of the car and get his bag too." She walked over and opened the door that Sean's little face was watching solemnly from. She signed to him that she was going to stay with him tonight. They'd have a campout in the living room. His spirits seemed to raise. {Get your bag, kiddo. We've got stuff to do.}

{Okay.} He threw his arms around her middle for a hug first.

She grinned hugging back, {Can you go get the door to the apartment open? I'll bring your mom up in a bit.} He nodded and disappeared.

"I caught some of that, what's up with Sally?" Zane asked. Em raised a brow at him. "Look, just because I don't want to be a dad doesn't mean I don't care at all. I was basically married to her you know."

"She was beyond upset about this weekend. She's never left him with anyone for more than a few hours. Even me. I took her out to get her mind off it, and the wine was a little free flowing for her. I didn't expect you to bring him back tonight. She'll be fine by morning and I can take care of him 'til then."

"You need help?" He meant getting Sally up to her apartment, and she knew it.

"No, I'm fine. I used to do this all the time with Sal in college and there wasn't an elevator to get to the upper floors in our dorm. Thanks for the offer though, I guess." She watched him nod and then turn away, get in his car and drive off. "Good riddance." She said sadly before getting her friend out of the car, up the stairs and settled in bed. Emma then pulled the mattress off Sally's futon and built a tent over it with Sean. He picked a movie to watch and she made a small bag of popcorn. Then she let Sean snuggle in with her and they watched the movie out the end of the tent.

Sean had just nodded off during the hyenas singing about taking over the pride lands in The Lion King, when her phone signaled an in-coming message. She checked it and didn't recognize the number, but she opened the text anyway, it might be a new client. Her heart jumped when she read: 'Hey, it's Malcolm. Thought it only fair that you have my number too.' She found a grin widening on her face as she texted back.

'Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.' Her phone rang shortly after she hit send, and she answered quickly. "Hey there, handsome."

"Come back to the restaurant and have a drink with me then. I'll pay so it can be a date." His voice was warm and compelling.

"You're still there?" She asked in disbelief. It was getting close to midnight.

"Well, no, but I can get back easily enough." He was chuckling softly.

"Oh, how I wish I could, Mr. Tucker-" He cut her off.

"Malcolm, please."

"Okay, Malcolm. I wish I could, but I'm currently snuggled in with a handsome fellow, who's sleeping to The Lion King." Her free hand caressed the sleeping boy's hair.

"Ah, your friend's son, I presume, or at least I hope?"

"Correctly, his dad was waiting when I stopped to drop Sally off at home, and I obviously can't leave him alone with her. I suppose if you really wanted to you could come help me watch Sean sleep in the floor." She was secretly hoping he'd take her up on the offer.

"I don't think we're to that stage in this tentative relationship." At least he sounded a little like he regretted that fact.

"Are we in a relationship?" Em asked. "Even a tentative one."

"Well, I couldn't concentrate on work after you left. It's been a very long time since that was an issue. So, I think giving it a go wouldn't hurt." She loved his accent and the gravelly quality of his voice.

"I think I'd like that. You're a very intriguing man, Malcolm Tucker, and I still don't know what it is you do. Government official sure, but what is a director of communications?"

"Lets just say that I get paid very well to make embarrassing publicity go away, or to at least put a different spin on it, and I get to be a right arse to the ones responsible for the bad press to begin with." His chuckle was deep and sent tingles through her. Em didn't know why he was affecting her like this so quickly. She kinda liked it though.

"Sounds like fun, so you're based here in DC or what?" She asked.

"I'm here for a few days for meetings, is all. I'm based in London, Downing Street, while my party is in power at any rate. What do you know of British politics?"

"About as much as the next red-blooded American that doesn't think their own government worth the effort to understand." She said a little ashamed. "I've really been lax in my interest the last few years learning to sign and getting vetted to interpret for diplomats that have hearing disabilities and then getting certified as an ASL instructor. Sometimes I think I should know more about the policies and such that my clients are trying to push through, and then other times I think my job is easier when I don't know any of the political ramifications of what I'm being asked to interpret for them."

"About that, what made you learn to sign in the first place?" Malcolm asked her genuinely interested.

"The little man I'm cuddling with right now, actually. He was born deaf. Sally and I started out as roommates in college back in Texas and became the best of friends. When she and Zane learned that Sean would be disabled from birth, Zane flipped out and disappeared on her. Sally was upset, but she read up on the hearing impaired and she started to worry about Sean. She begged me to start taking classes with her. She didn't want Sean to grow up isolated and unable to communicate with anyone except his mom. It was a panic reaction, so I told her I'd go with her. I didn't want him to grow up that way either. She asked me to be his God-mother because of it."

"Well, I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with him." Malcolm actually sounded like he understood.

"No it's fine, he's sleeping and I'm enjoying our talk." She didn't want him to hang up yet.

"Me too. Could we make tomorrow an actual date, you think?" He threw out there.

"We could, but if we do that, how am I gonna make that wine stain up to you?" She was being coy now.

"I'm sure I can think of something." He said suggestively. "Perhaps something that we both might enjoy." His tone was as warm as a sip of whiskey shared while wrapped together in a blanket, sitting before a fire. It made her tremble feeling a

little warm herself.

"Sounds promising." She was enjoying this conversation. "Tell you what. You really don't want to come over here and snuggle in a sheet tent with a kid you don't know, but we can talk until either Sally wakes up or we fall asleep, what do you say?"

"I think that would be a welcome compromise." He was sincere about that too. "But, don't presume to think I'm above a fun time in a blanket fort, Darling."

"I'm having a hard time picturing that." She tried to hold the image of him in her position in her mind, and grinned as it was so foreign that it slipped away.

"Yeah, well, you're having a lot less of a hard time than the people I work with would. I can guarantee you that." He was smug now, but she didn't hear anything that suggested he was anything other than serious.

"Guess you're something of a pit bull at the office then." She guessed.

"That's putting it mildly." Malcolm was enjoying the easy conversation. He was enjoying not talking about bloody politics for once. He was reveling in the fact that she could care less about the government, because he was starting to hate his job. It wasn't even something he noticed at the moment. It would be years before he did, but he would in time. He'd be thankful to have Emmaline in his life when he did. He didn't realize it yet, but he would come to see her utter obliviousness to the political world as a haven. A place of solace and place to escape for a little while.

Their conversation went on for hours and no topic was sacred. The feeling she inspired in him was growing, and they talked until the sun was due to rise. It made for a long day for Malcolm. By the end of it, he was ready for the reprieve his date with Emma promised him. He was a few minutes late, but she was only just being seated. Malcolm took a moment to observe her. Emmaline was dressed elegantly, but again not extravagantly. Her dress was a wrap around in a rich cranberry red. He couldn't tell if she wore hose or stockings, but he loved the heels that matched her dress. He really was a sucker for a pair of heels that led to the shapely calves of a beautiful woman, he mused.

"Do you have a reservation sir?" A waitress approached him.

"Actually, I believe my party is waiting already." He headed to the table.

Emma watched the slender Scotsman making his way to her. He was in a different suit tonight, and it looked like he'd been through the ringer today. She found herself smiling brightly at him. He returned the smile, and she decided it made him that much more handsome. He joined her at their table and placed a chaste kiss to her cheek. They enjoyed a pleasant meal, the food here was always superb, and an even more pleasant conversation. After the previous night's talk over the phone, she felt like they were well past a first date.

By the end of the meal, they both were reluctant to part. Malcolm was just mesmerized by her, and she was sure she was falling in love. He paid and then escorted her to her car. "Would you like a ride to your hotel?" She offered.

"I would, in fact." He opened and held the door for her to slip into the driver's seat.

"Would you like to stop at my place and have a cup of coffee or tea with me?" She asked as he settled beside her in the passenger seat and buckled in.

"I'd like that more than returning to the empty hotel room waiting for me." He was getting an intense look in his eyes again. She found that those eyes did change with his moods. She could feel his gaze almost like a caress along her body. It made her shiver in the most delicious way. She hadn't felt this for a very long time.

Emmaline reached across the console and threaded her fingers through his. "I was hoping you'd say that." He smiled warmly at her and lifted her hand to his lips once more. "We'll be there shortly." Her voice was wobbly after that.

Malcolm followed her up the steps to her door and waited for her to get the locks open. She led him inside and as the door closed behind them he had pulled her back around to him and his mouth was on hers, feverish in his need to taste her. Em's hands delved into his closely cropped hair and held him to the kiss, giving as good as she got. It became a dominance game and he enjoyed that she wouldn't just back down and let him take over.

They eventually found a compromise that had neither of them dominating the other, but working together and making it all the better. They parted finally, and Em was looking up at him with hungry eyes and swollen lips and he felt all the blood in his body heading south. "Malcolm, I don't really want that cup of coffee any more, but would you like to stay?"

"Absolutely, Luv, as long as you'll have me." He pondered that statement a moment. He really meant that. He wanted her, sure, but it was more than that. He wanted to keep her beside him, to talk with her and love her. The thought of love stopped him short, and sent him in a different direction. He'd only met her yesterday and he was already thinking of love. He hesitated a moment, and just looked down into her warm brown eyes. There was a spark in them that he recognized reflected in his own. She felt the same.

"Follow me then," she tugged on the hand she'd not let go of yet. He followed her willingly and looked around as she pointed out different rooms while leading him up the stairs. It was a nice, spacious home, especially for a single woman who wasn't even thirty yet. She led him through the upper level and into her bedroom, and they wasted no time getting clothes removed.

The dress was a true wrap around he discovered, as she unclasped the bobble at her hip and the cloth fell away from her. It revealed an expanse of smooth warm skin and a set of lacy lingerie and he noted that she was wearing stockings after all. He groaned at the image she made with the garters holding the stockings in place. "Bloody beautiful." He uttered softly. He was completely distracted by her and abruptly found himself bared from the waist up.

Em was reveling in revealing his lean strength to her gaze. He was magnificent. Slim and lithe, well defined despite the beginnings of his softening with age, she could feel the wiry strength in him. His chest hair was sparse and graying, like the hair at his temples and it was soft; more prevalent over his stomach and disappearing into his suit pants. She found him gloriously male, and she was ready to have him. "I'm not the only beauty in the room, Mr. Tucker."

His hands were gentle on her skin, long fingers trailing down her arms and taking her hands to pull her close. They both sighed when skin met skin. "I've never wanted someone this much, Emmaline. Never."

"To be honest, neither have I, and it's Em. We went over how much I hate my name last night on the phone." She grinned and leaned in to taste the skin of his throat. "Everything is moving so fast between us, but it feels like there's an end coming. It feels like we need to make the most of this."

"Agreed, should we find a condom or something?" He didn't want to break this spell, but he needed to be responsible about this.

"Well, only if you want to. I mean, I'm told I'll never have kids, so that isn't a worry, and it's been so long since I was with anyone like this…" she trailed off.

"You can't have children?" He was stunned by this news. It wasn't a topic they'd covered last night.

"That's what the doctors said after the accident. It was a car crash, my mother almost didn't make it. Hell, I almost didn't, my pelvis was basically shattered. The damage was extensive. They didn't remove anything, just in case, but they say the likelihood of my getting pregnant is about the same as penguins spontaneously learning to fly. I've got a few visible scars, but the bad scarring mostly internal. Which is the entire problem." She turned from him, but didn't move from his arms. "If that's a deal breaker I understand."

"I never said that, Em. It's just a bit of a shock. I was only thinking of preventing an unexpected pregnancy, and now there likely won't be even an expected one." He really didn't know how he felt about this news at the moment

"No, it's okay. Wouldn't be the first time." She pulled out of his arms and reached for the robe at the end of her bed. "I understand, a man like you, you probably want lots of kids."

"What are you talkin' about?" He pulled her back to him. "You think I'm letting you go because of this." He gentled the robe down off her shoulders. "This isn't a deal breaker, Luv. We aren't even close to the point where that is an issue. If we find ourselves together in a bit and wanting a family there are other ways." He held her to him to still her trembling.

"You know, I thought I'd dealt with this knowledge a long time ago. I realize now that I had never thought about actually wanting to be able to give someone a child. I think I would want that with you, Malcolm. If we stay together if we get serious. It's a little absurd to be having this conversation after only knowing you for twenty-four hours."

"Maybe this is moving too fast." He pulled her with him to the bed. "Tell you what, if you don't mind, I'd like to lie here with you, and keep you close tonight. I'd like to keep talking with you and get to know you more and more."

"I'd like that too, Malcolm. I want the chance to see if this amazing fellow I met last night could be the one man for me."

"I don't know if I'm the man for anyone, Luv, but I can say I'd like to try." He helped her into bed and slid in behind her.

Em took a calming breath. "I guess, maybe we should stop trying to cram the whole relationship into the next two days. So, you live in London and I'm in DC, people have long distance relationships all the time. They suck, but if the relationship can survive that, it will survive everything."

"I foresee my phone bill raising exponentially." He teased wrapping his arms around her.

"You and me both, handsome." She rolled to face him and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss. "This okay?"

"More than." He was stroking her spine as she entangled their legs. "I'll have to wake up a bit early to get back and change, but I can have my things sent here and I'll stay again tomorrow if you would like, yeah."

"I do want that, and the next time you're in town for meetings, you can just stay with me. Don't bother with a hotel." She offered.

"That's a promise then." He tucked her head under his chin. "You'll have to come stay with me in London too, you know. I've a bloody big house, and it gets lonely there."

"Is that a standing offer?" She said against his Adam's apple, nipping when she was done. "Cause I've always wanted to see London."

"You come whenever you'd like, Luv. Come stay with me over holiday, I'll take you on a tour of the city."

"I think that sounds lovely." She was quiet for a moment. "You really don't mind?"

"Of course I mind you were hurt so badly, but about possibly not having kids, no. We'll be alright." He felt her relax into him, and he held her more closely, protectively. "I think I could fall in love with you, Em." He said after she drifted off.

Malcolm was interrupted by the same tiny girl coming in and requesting attention. "Ah, my girl." Malcolm lifted her up, and held her close while he stood to rock her. "Are you tired after your trip, my darlin'?"

The girl's hand was playing with his loose tie as she rested against him. "Daddy, daddy, daddy," she sounded completely content. Jamie was again thrown for a loop watching this completely different Malcolm that he'd never met before.

"It's not time for sleeping yet, Pip." He was running his fingers through her hair soothingly. "I have missed you, Piper-girl."

"Mal, do you have our girl down there? She's learned how to be quite sneaky lately." Emma's voice came to them.

"She's found me, Love. Want me to just keep her here, yeah?"

"Okay, just remember the rule." Jamie watched Malcolm roll his eyes. "I'll get some dinner ready for her. She needs to eat and get ready for bed." Emma came in then and smiled at the little girl holding on for dear life. "Simon's in his room, if you want to take her up to him. He'll keep her busy. He's quite the helper with his sister, even though she torments him endlessly."

"I'm fine with her, Em." He leaned over to share a kiss with her. "I've missed them, Love. Missed you too." He kissed her again, like he couldn't get enough of her.

"I'll show you later how much I've missed you." She promised him.

"I'm looking forward to that, then. Need any help in the kitchen, Em?"

"I'm fine, I'll call Simon down. He and I have fun cooking together." She kissed her daughter's little cheek. "You hold on to Daddy, okay little miss."

"Daddy." Piper snuggled impossibly closer to her father's chest.

Jamie found himself chuckling. "Is that all she says?"

"For roughly the first two days after we reunite with Malcolm, yes." The man being spoken of turned his face into the caress his wife gave him.

"So how long have you two been married?" Jamie finally asked.

"Round about twelve years." Malcolm answered while watching his wife adoringly.

"Well then, tell me more." Jamie settled back and waited while Em kissed her husband again and went to call their son down from his room.

"Simon James! Want to come help me make some dinner?" She called up to him.

Jamie missed his answer shocked at the middle name she'd called up. He looked to Malcolm sharply. The other man laughed a bit. "Named for one of my only friends. A man I respect very much. See, I knew that one day I'd be done with the office, and then I could tell him all about his namesake."

"Fuck Malc, I'm so bloody sorry." Jamie stated honored that Malcolm would name one of his children for him.

"Hey! rules, Tucker, maybe explain them to your foul mouthed friend." Malcolm just chuckled, sat back down and adjusted his daughter to a more comfortable position. "Jamie, the rule she's talking about is the no swearing in front of the kids rule. She's got some interesting consequences if Pip or Simon ever utter any of my favorites. In an odd way, I'm sort of looking forward to that." Jamie muttered an apology, still stunned by the unknown-until-now honor. Malcolm started his tale again.

Weeks later they'd racked up infinite hours of phone conversations and the Holidays were only days away. Emma and Malcolm had only seen each other for a couple of days between that first meeting and now. He'd had a week of meetings in DC and they hadn't had a lot of time to spend together. She'd had a new client to work with, and his meetings were back to back, but they'd had two days and all their nights to spend together before his flight home. They were falling harder and faster for one another with each conversation, and the added element of a physical relationship had only accelerated the process.

He couldn't wait for her arrival here. It was his turn to host his family for the holidays. He wanted his mother and sisters to meet Emmaline. After the family had gone he had plans for Em himself. It was time to move forward for the both of them. He knew that they could work around their positions though she'd have to continue living in the states. He wanted to open a dialogue about making them more permanent. He missed the shite out of her when they were apart, but they were making this work.

"Hey there, handsome man." The voice came from behind where he stood watching for Em to disembark. Her arms slipped around him and he relaxed.

"Hello, my beautiful girl." He turned and pulled her into a satisfying kiss. "How did you sneak past me?" He asked as he pulled back slightly.

"They changed our gate at the last minute. I came in on the other side of the terminal." She informed him with a smile. "I've even got all my luggage, so we can go when you're ready."

"Then let's go, Luv." He watched the color come into her face and liked putting it there. He took her bags and her hand and led her out of the airport. His car was waiting, and he settled her in the back before depositing her luggage in the trunk. Once he joined her in the car his driver headed out. "So, are you ready for the Tucker invasion?"

"Not really, but I want to meet your family, Malcolm." She sighed and leaned into him as much as the seatbelt allowed. "I don't want to be a cause for tension between you and them though."

"You won't be. They'll be distant at first, but when they see how much I love you they'll follow suit." He kissed the top of her head reassuringly.

"I hope so. There's something I need to talk to you about, Malcolm. I want to wait until we're alone at your place though." Something in her tone had him worried. She must've felt him tense, and was quick to assure him. "It's not bad, I don't think. Just rather unexpected, and you need to know." She sighed and settled more closely to him. "I need you to know."

"Okay. We should be at the house shortly." He was wary and worried at her unease. The car dropped them off at his gate, and he carried her bags into the house. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Just some water if you don't mind." She said with a caress to his cheek.

"I'll get it. The sitting room is just through there, make yourself comfortable, Luv." He set her bags at the bottom of the stairs and crossed into the kitchen to grab a bottled water out of the fridge. He cracked the seal and returned to her side, relieved she'd sat herself on his couch. He had missed her, and wanted to be close to her.

"I like your pillows." She was holding one of the blasted pink things. He grinned aggravated at the pillow.

"I don't. Somehow my decorator got it into her head that I'm a pouf. The only good thing about them is they're damn comfortable." He removed the pillow from her lap and took her hands. "You wanted to tell me something?"

Emma couldn't sit still and found her feet to pace and fidget. "I want you to understand I didn't plan this at all. I really didn't think that I could ever…" she trailed off. "Fuck it! Malcolm, I'm pregnant."

He was at a loss. Utterly stunned and beyond words for the first time he could remember being in a very long time. Her back was to him and he found that unacceptable. He got to his feet and turned her to face him. There were two tears racing one another down her face and he couldn't stand the sight of them, so wiped them away with his thumbs. "Say that again, Luv."

"I'm pregnant." She whispered. "You're going to be a dad." She sounded awed now. "I'm going to be a mother."

"But I thought…?"

"Me too, they said there was no chance with all the scar tissue, Malcolm, and I believed them. I'm sorry, and I want this, Malcolm. Even if you don't and tell me to go, I'm keeping the baby." She said firmly.

"You'd bloody well better, you daft girl." He was holding her arms, and found himself dropping down before her onto his knees. "There's a bit of me and a bit of you growing in here." He rested the tips of his thumb and forefinger against her womb. "Em, are you certain?"

"Two doctors agree, I am thoroughly knocked up. You are a very potent man, Mr. Tucker." She was smiling tentatively now running her fingers through his hair, and he buried his face in her belly, hugging her tight to him. "I know it's unexpected, I thought you ought to know though."

"Unexpected, but absolutely welcome news, Luv." He looked up at her now. "I was going to wait until after the holidays, but I think now's better." He pulled a small box from his pocket. "I've been carrying this round for two weeks now. Can't seem to put it aside." He opened the box to reveal an engagement ring. "I want you to marry me, Em. Please, don't say no."

"Malcolm?"

"Please, Luv. I've only grown fonder of you as we talked over the phone. I'd like us to be permanent. I know you still have your job and your life in DC. I've got this shite job here, but I love doing it. Someday though, its all going to change, and one of us can bend a little and we can make more time to see each other with a baby to take into consideration. I want to be part of your life and I want to be a father to our child. We'll work out the details as we go. Please say you want this too."

She was silent a moment watching him and letting what he'd said sink in. "I do. I want that, Malcolm. I love you."

"Good." He surged to his feet and captured her in a long drugging kiss. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He asked when they parted. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm fine, not hungry, and the only thing I need right now is you." She pecked his lips again.

"I'm not going anywhere then." He rested his head to hers.

"No, Malcolm. I need you." Her tone was a little more deliberate now and he looked her over. Her eyes were shining with hunger, and he understood.

"Oh, right, follow me then." He led her from the room and up the stairs and into his bedroom. She was on him as soon as he'd dropped her bags at the foot of the bed. She tackled him to the mattress, and her hands had already pulled his shirt away before he'd registered they were working on the buttons. He found he was as impatient as she was and started stripping her clothing away a layer at a time as quickly as he could. When she was bared to him he could see subtle changes to her body.

Suddenly his desperation to have her cooled, and he just wanted to look for a moment. Her breasts were fuller, her belly harder under his fingers, her face was rounder and she absolutely glowed. His hands came to cup her face. "Em, I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Malcolm." Her fingers scraped through his close cropped hair. He shuddered against her. "I love you, and yes I want to marry you. I know it won't be easy. I know you don't want us exposed to your job. I trust you, Mal, do what you have to. I'll be here when you're done." She chuckled and dropped a hand over her belly. "We'll be here, waiting."

"What the fuck have I done in this wretched existence to deserve you?" He hid his face in her neck so she wouldn't see his tears.

"I don't know, babe, but I love you." He took her mouth again, building them up, more slowly this time, he wanted to hear her keen for him. His hands were smoothing down her arms to pull them up where he could take her hands palm to palm and join their fingers.

"I love you too, very much more than I'd ever hoped to love anyone." He kissed her tenderly then set about making her squirm.

In the aftermath they lie tangled together, Malcolm was careful not to rest his weight over her for too long. His fingers were tracing designs below her belly button, and she was content at the contact. "So when exactly were you thinking about doing this marriage thing?"

"I don't know, love." She shivered at the way he said love. It was different than his usual luv, made her feel special to him. "Soon as we can."

Em chuckled. "My Grandmother was right. She always said that it would take me a while to find the right man, but when I did we'd be married so fast it would make heads spin. Granted I'm barely twenty-six, but in my family if you aren't married by twenty there's no hope for you."

"You're practically an old maid then." He teased her.

"Not any more." She rolled partly atop him to kiss him thoroughly. "So, back to the original question."

"We can go tomorrow to file all the correct paperwork." He hesitated a moment. "Would you want to be a British Citizen?"

"You mean like dual-citizenship?" He nodded. "Yeah, it would probably make visiting a hell of a lot easier. I'd like the baby to officially be both Scottish and American. He or she can decide where to live when they're old enough. You could do the same, you know."

"I've already got the documents I need for that downstairs in the office, just in case you said yes." He shared another tender kiss with her. "I'll have them sent off tomorrow."

"While we're out doing that, why don't we file the paperwork we need to so we can get married before I head back to the states. I'll worry about the citizenship stuff after we're married." Her fingers were tracing nonsense over his chest, and leaving trails of fire along his skin.

"So you really want to do this?" His hand came to cover hers and still her teasing. "You really want to be married to a dried up old man?"

"Who's old here?" Em pulled her hand free and trailed down his stomach to palm the already renewed, hard length of him. "Yes, Malcolm, I want to be married to you. I already said so, didn't I?"

"Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical. I'm no great prize." He pulled her hand back up to his chest. Much more of her teasing and they'd never finish the conversation.

"You are to me, my handsome Scot." She was cupping his face now. "I'm no prize either, by the way."

"Ha, you're young, talented, beautiful." He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking the strands away from her face behind an ear. "And you've my son or daughter with you. I'd say that makes you quite the catch."

"God, I love you, Tucker." Malcolm sucked in a shocked breath when she straddled him and slid onto him in almost the same move.

"Fuck, but you're going to be the end of me, woman." She giggled and started riding him slowly.

"Oh no, we're just getting started. Both here in this bed and for the rest of our lives." She leaned down to give him a slow addicting kiss. Malcolm's hands slipped further around her to hold her to him, chest to chest. Neither of them were in a rush for this to end. They took their time and teased and laughed at their shared joy to be united and unhurried. So far they'd felt rushed when they were together. This time they savored every touch, every taste, every kiss, every moment until they were spent and exhausted and tangled together drifting to sleep.

The next day, Malcolm made good on his promise of a tour. She enjoyed every minute, and by the end of the day they had all the paperwork they needed filed and were just waiting for it to go through so they could get married. They'd been told it would be a few days with the holiday rush. By the time Malcolm's mother, Eloise, and two of his three sisters, Sian with her two daughters and Finolla with her son, arrived, the deed was done. Malcolm and Emmaline Tucker were happy to greet their guests.

Em was understandably nervous to be meeting her in-laws, but Malcolm wasn't worried in the least. "Calm down, love. Sian can be a toff, but Fin and Mam will love you just as much as I do. Mam might be a little upset we married before she could get here, but she'll forgive us once the baby comes."

He was right as usual. Malcolm's mother was a kind if blunt woman, and her accent was much thicker than Malcolm's, so Em had a bit of a hard time following when the older woman was excited. "You're the girl my boy's been so besotted over then?" Were the first words out of her mouth after doffing her coat and all but hurling it at her son.

"I suppose so, Mrs. Tucker. I'm Emma, well, Emmaline, but please, Em is fine."

"Ach, I'm Eloise, and you just remember that, luv." She gave Em an appraising look. "Well, you are a lovely thing, when's the baby due?"

Malcolm and Em both gaped at her. "How do you know she's even expecting, Mam? I've just found out meself." He was the first to recover.

"Ha, after four of my own babes I know the signs." She smirked at them. Her daughter's behind her were stunned silent. "Are you going to marry her then?"

"Well, actually, I already have, Mam." He pulled Em's left hand up and kissed the rings now gracing the third finger. "Best decision I ever made."

"Wish you'd waited 'til your family could be here." Was all Eloise said to that.

"We didn't want to wait any longer. If it's any consolation, my family still doesn't know." Em stated.

"And why not? You're ashamed of my brother are you?" That from the elder of Malcolm's sisters.

"Oh, God no! Just haven't spoken to them yet. They live in Texas, so I rarely see them. I'll be spending all my vacation time here with Malcolm now anyway, so I suppose I'll see them even less." Em didn't know what to make of this woman even though Malcolm had warned about her. Finolla was just grinning at them all. "Anyway, Sian you and the girls are down here in the den. We didn't have time to clear out his storage from the third floor." Em informed, and Malcolm just watched, waiting to see how she'd handle his older sister.

"On trundles then are we?"

"The sofa is a pull out and there's room on that for two. The third can have a roll away or camp cot. Eloise you're in the front guest room upstairs, and Finolla you and the little one are in the second." She was ignoring Sian's glare for the moment. "Eloise, if you'll follow me I'll get you settled first." She headed off and Malcolm raised his brows toward his older sister.

"Well, she's got a spine at least. And Fin likes her." Was her only comment.  
"Yeah well, Fin likes everyone." Malcolm commented. "Give her a chance, Sian, she's my wife."

"For how long though?"

"Stop, just stop. As long as she'll have me." Malcolm informed. "I've made this decision and it's none of yours."

"How do you know she's not after your money?"

"Ha, how do you know I'm not just after hers?" Malcolm shook his head. "She's her own bloody money, and has no need of mine, ya daft woman."

"Well, I've no complaint of her then." The visit was pleasant after that, and they enjoyed getting to know each other.

"Aggie is sorry to have been unable to come. That's Malcolm's oldest sister." Eloise stated on the day before the family was to depart. "You'll meet her in time I suppose."

"Well, if she's anything like the rest of the Tucker clan I'm sure I'll get along fine with her." Em stated from the circle of her husband's arms.

"You just watch yourself, love, she can be a wicked old hag." Malcolm was joking, and Em knew him well enough to know that. She grinned and nestled back against him.

"I can take care of myself thanks very much." She grinned wider when Malcolm's fingers captured her own to twine together. Em impulsively pecked his lips. Sian's girls tittered, as young girls are prone to, and Samuel, Fin's boy made a disgusted face.

The days after his family left, Malcolm and Em treated as a honeymoon of sorts. They were rarely away from one another's side and almost constantly in contact. The call to her parents went as well as she'd expected. They were disappointed in her getting married with out them having even met the man she wed. She was a little upset by it, but Malcolm promised that as soon as he could get the time they'd go for a proper visit so he could meet her family.

Chap 3

The tale was interrupted once more when Simon came in. "Dinner is ready, Daddy." Malcolm roused his girl from the nap she'd slipped into, with some difficulty, and they made their way to the table.

"I hope you're okay with Italian, Jamie. The kids love spaghetti, and it's quick. Mal, could you grab some wine?"

Em asked as they sat.

"I'll get it, if you want a glass that is, Jamie?" Malcolm asked their guest.

"No, I'm fine, and Italian is perfectly okay with me, Emma." He was keen on how Malcolm took over helping his daughter to eat, insisting that Em have her own dinner first.

"You just worry about you and the one still attached, my love. I've got this lady here taken care of." Malcolm teased her gently. "You've had as long a trip as the kids, relax." He pushed her hands away from their daughter's plate and proceeded to keep close watch on the toddler's uncoordinated attempts to feed herself.

"Mal, can you put her hair up? It'll be murder getting it clean if she gets food all tangled in it." Em implored him.

"That I can do, love." He left them for a moment, but was soon back with a small band. He made practiced work of a little topknot and Jamie was again astonished at the things he didn't know about his friend. They ate companionably, both kids getting more quiet as the meal went on. Once she was done, Em took Simon up to get him in the bath.

"The boy can't do it himself?" Jamie was skeptical.

"Oh, the bathing part he's okay with, but if we left him to get the water run for himself we'd have the upper level of the house flooded." Malcolm chuckled loving that his family was here with him. Piper was still mostly playing with her meal so they were still sitting at the table. It was the first time Jamie had seen Malcolm use the table as it was intended to be used.

"How old is Simon?" Jamie asked.

"Just turned five." Malcolm sighed. "Before you state the obvious, no, he's not the baby from that first pregnancy. We lost that one, 'bout half way through the pregnancy. It was hard for the both of us. That's when I finally had to tell Tom about Em, actually. She was back stateside when the miscarriage happened. I got a call late afternoon from the hospital she was in. You can imagine how that went." Jamie nodded. "I was all set to drop everything when she told me to just stay here."

"Bet you didn't listen to that, mate."

"At first, I did, yeah. Two days in I was a nervous wreck, though. I was a right arse until Sally called me." His voice had taken on a tone of remembrance that Jamie had noticed throughout, as Malcolm recounted his tale.

Most of the staff had gone home by now, Malcolm was still at his desk though. He was working furiously and getting nowhere with it when his new assistant poked her head in. "There's a Sally Morris on the line for you, Sir." He couldn't break her of calling him that and it bugged him no end.

"I've got it." He was never snappy with her, so his tone startled her, and she disappeared quickly. "What's happened? Did something go wrong?"

"No, she's still in the hospital, Malcolm. She lost a lot of blood. The doctor said she'll be here a few days yet until her system isn't so shocky." He'd gotten to know Sally and Sean quite well during the last couple of visits to Em's place. "She needs you, Malcolm."

"I know that, but she told me to stay here. You think my heart isn't there with her. You think I'm not fuckin' bleedin' out myself. I can't do a fucking thing here, but she was cross at me when I suggested coming to her." His fist met the top of the desk with frustrated violence.

"Yeah, I know. She banned me from the room when I argued with her. But, well fuck that, Malcolm. Your wife needs you, and you need to be here. You need her just as much." Sally sounded genuinely upset.

"I know. I want to be there, but I don't want to push her. I've just lost a son, and I don't want to lose my wife too." He was scared to death that if he showed up there Em would break off their marriage. He'd seen his older sister after a miscarriage. She'd been irrational, and inconsolable. "I'm terrified of doing the wrong thing."

"You show up here, and she might be angry for all of two seconds. She's hurting, and she is blaming herself and that damn accident from years ago. That wasn't even the cause of this. The baby's heart didn't develop right. Em's body was doing its job, including aborting the baby."

"Fuck me, it's my fault then." Malcolm had wondered if they'd ever know why the pregnancy had ended. "My sister lost a child the same way. Fuck, fuck, fuckity. I'm on the next plane." He needed to be with his Em. He couldn't take this pain on his own any longer. "I'll call you with details when I have them." He hung up then and bellowed for Sam.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Damn it, Sam, call me Malcolm. Look, I need a plane to D.C. Earliest flight you can get me. Tonight would be best, but early morning if there isn't a seat sooner. I'm going to be out of the office for a while. You'll have to hold things down here." He informed her. "I'll call Tom in a bit, he can get someone to cover me, or Jamie can do it. He's new but capable of taking care of this place."

"Yes, Malcolm." She finally acquiesced to his request. "Is everything all right?" She asked after studying him a moment.

"No, my wife's just miscarried our first child, and I'm a numpty if I'm staying here another fucking minute." He grabbed up his phone and called The Boss. "Tom, I'm calling to beg some time off." He explained the situation. The PM was quite understandably skeptical. "Look all the proof of it is in my files. We got married just before holidays last year and now I need to get over there and take care of her for a bit. She's still in hospital, for fucks sake."

The PM realized that this wasn't some type of prank and sent Malcolm home to pack. He asked only that he be kept updated as to when Malcolm might return. By the end of the conversation, Sam had Malcolm's plane ticket, and a driver waiting for him. He made a mad dash home to pack a bag, and then spent eight and a half hours staring out a window at nothing, chewing his thumb and worrying that Em was going to end their marriage. Sally met him at the terminal with Sean. Malcolm greeted the both of them with hugs. "I don't mean to be rude here, but get me to Em."

"No, be rude all you want. She's pissing me off, pushing us all away." Sally said not bothering to sign their conversation for Sean. He didn't need to know any of this. Besides, he was probably doing quite well reading their lips. Malcolm followed them to the car and spent the ride signing with Sean. Malcolm was still learning the right signs, but Sean was helping him and Em had been a very good teacher, so far.

When they arrived all his nerves came to the front. They got him signed in at the desk, the night nurses were actually relieved to see him. Malcolm went weak-kneed when they reached her room. It was midnight here in DC, so Em would likely be sleeping. He didn't want to wake her, but he needed to see her. Sally gave him a push. "Just love her, Malcolm. It's what she needs right now, to know you love her no matter what."

Sally's words bolstered his courage up and he entered the room. Em wasn't sleeping it turned out. She looked up when the door opened, and her tears were immediate when she saw it was her husband. "Malcolm? Honey, I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry." She just broke then, and Malcolm was quick to join her on the bed. He pulled her in tight against him.

"Is that the reason you told me not to come? For fuck's sake, I'd never do that. I was scared you'd tell me to leave. It'll be all right though. We can get through this. I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere until you don't need me. Yell and curse me all you want, but I'm not leaving your side." Malcolm's throat ached with his grief, and Em wrapped herself around him in return.

"I don't want you to go. I wanted you here, and I know I told you not to come. I don't know what I was thinking, Malcolm." She was weeping bitterly into his chest.

"It's okay, love, I know. I do know, how disorientating tragedy can be. We've suffered a loss, and I wasn't unaffected by it. I should have been on the first flight, even after you told me not to come. I'm sorry I left you on your own for two days to deal with all this." His hands were soothing her back and occasionally running through her hair comforting the both of them. "Sally told me the doctor's found out the cause, and I'm sorry for that too. It's happened before in my family, love. I'm sorry."

"Stop, Mal, don't apologize. My doctor said that there was nothing we could have done. I still feel like it's my fault, that my body didn't do it's job. But the truth is, it's not anyone's fault. We lost a son, before we even got to meet him properly, and it's not your fault or mine, and we need to accept that, or we'll hate each other. I don't want that at all, Malcolm." She tucked her face into his throat then and he just held her.

"I love you, my Emmaline." He felt her body relax against him, and her arms tightened around him. He let her hold on, and he grieved with her for a while. The next days weren't easy, but Em came back quick after his arrival. Soon they were back at her place, and making arrangements for their tiny loss. They had their moments to fall to pieces and had arguments that seemed ridiculous after the fact, and they clung to one another as if afraid of losing each other.

Two weeks went by quickly, Em's mother, Cora, flew up to comfort her daughter, and was amazed at how well she was doing with Malcolm at her side. He'd met her family on a wild, exhausting weekend trip not long after they'd married. They were still wary of each other. After her time with them, seeing how the couple took turns being there for each other, handled things together, how Malcolm took care of her daughter and how Em took care of him, Cora let go of her anger for not being included.

By the end of the third week, it had become apparent that Malcolm was needed at the office. Em insisted she was okay. He didn't want to leave her, but knew he needed to get back to his work. "Em, I don't want to leave you alone, love."

"I know, I've decided that I'm taking some time off. I'll tie up some loose ends here, and then I'll be headed to you in London. It shouldn't take more than a week or so before I get things here squared away." Her smile was small, but it was one of the few she'd offered since losing their son. "I need to be near you for a while longer. I'm not ready for anything, you know, but I need to be near you." Em wrapped her arms around him. "You need to get back to work, so the only choice is to take some time and move to London."

"How long, Em?" His hands moved over her back. He was relieved she wanted to stay with him for a while.

"Until I feel functional again, couple months at least. Do you mind?" She kissed his cheek and just held on after that.

"Absolutely not, I need to be near you too, Love." He kept her close. "I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you here, both of us still hurting."

"Good, 'cause I can't bear the thought of you going without me." She kissed him soundly, it was the first time she'd done that, initiated a kiss. It quieted the largest part of his worries, and went a long way to putting his mind at ease. He held her to the kiss in his relief.

"I'll call Tom, and I'll get my flight changed so we can travel together." He stated keeping her in his arms.

"Okay. This is good. We're dealing with this." She rested against him needing the comfort of his presence.

"We have each other, that's all we need to make it through anything, Em." He kissed the top of her head. "You are all I need to be happy, Love."

"Same here, so if we don't have any kids we at least have us. I'm not really ready, but we can try again someday." She was starting to crack again, but wanted to get this thought out now. "I want to try again, just not right now. The doctor did another exam at the last appointment. He still thinks that getting pregnant will be hard for me, but he said that once I am pregnant I shouldn't have a hard time staying that way. He said that this was a developmental flaw, not my body failing."

"I was there, love. I know, he said that your body actually did what it should have. If the baby had been born, if David had been born he wouldn't have lived long." His voice hitched at the name. They'd decided that naming the baby would help with the grieving process.

"I know, I just wish…" She sighed, "I'm sorry, Hon."

"It's perfectly okay, love. I wish too, but this was the best outcome the whole way round." He whispered into her hair. "It's a horrible outcome, but at least David isn't suffering. We aren't helpless, having to watch him suffer."

"I know, but my arms feel empty, Mal." She was shivering against him now. He knew she was breaking down again. He felt himself joining her, and so did she, if her arms tightening around him were any indication. "I love you, Malcolm, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault remember."

"No, not sorry as in it's my fault. I'm sorry you lost a son too." She looked up at him with teary eyes. "Everyone has been offering me comfort and condolences, but David was your son too."

"I'm all right, love." She smiled at him.

"No, you're not, neither am I."

"We will be then, and thank you, love." He kissed her hard then. "It helps that you are coming home with me."

"I know. You've been here for me, it's my turn." She trailed her fingers across his cheek, feeling the stubble that was growing into a full beard. "I like the beard, by the way."

"Really, I was headed to shave it off." He was rubbing his jaw now.

"Oh, well then, I like you clean shaven too." She kissed his lips, enjoying the tickle of whiskers.

"I can leave it, if you want." He offered.

Em shrugged, "whatever you want, my heart. I love you in whatever way I can get you."

"You're no help, you know." He rubbed the thick stubble once more. "Think I'll go on and shave it off." He let go and headed for the bedroom where his kit was in his luggage.

"Mal?" Em sounded tentative now.

"What is it, love?"

"Mind if I do the shaving?" She looked a bit embarrassed now, her color high. "I want to get the intimacy back between us. I'm not ready for sex. I'm still healing, and I'm just not in the right frame of mind for it, but I want to be intimate with you. I don't want to drift away from that closeness we've had since day one." Her embarrassment from moments ago was replaced with frustration. "I don't know how to explain what I mean. It always ends up sounding sappy."

"Em, my love, I understand perfectly what you mean." He returned to her and raised her eyes to his. "Have you ever shaved a man before?"

"Well, no, but I've watched a few times with ex-boyfriends, and my dad and grandfathers when I was little." She was shy now. "Just watching the boyfriends was very intense, so I figure that actually doing the shaving might get us back to where we were before."

"Maybe too soon, though. It is a very intimate act, and generally leads to a bed." He informed.

"Oh, if you don't want me to…" Her expression fell a little.

"I didn't say that, love. Just warning you where it might lead." He cupped her face lovingly with one hand, and entwined their fingers with the other. "Come on, then, I'll let you help, yeah?" He pulled her along behind him. They needn't worry about her shaving him leading to something they weren't ready for. The whole production had them giggling like kids at her complete ineptness at shaving a man's face. It left Malcolm with several minor nicks to his jaw, but he considered them well worth it to see her happy and bubbly again.

"I think I should leave the shaving to the expert, perhaps?" She was wiping the excess cream away from his, once again, smooth cheeks.

"Just takes practice, Em. We'll get you there eventually." He kissed the tip of her nose and helped her down from the vanity. "Tell you what, I'll teach you to shave me properly if you'll teach me to do your hair like you like it." He was toying with a lock of her hair as he said it.

"That's a deal, Mr. Tucker." She pecked his nose and then his lips. "Okay, I'm going to get something appropriate to wear to my office, and let the ambassador know that I'll be taking a few months off." She wrapped her arms around him for a short squeeze, and left him in her bathroom to get himself tidied up. By the time his first day back to the office arrived she was passable at shaving him. He'd proven to be more adept learning how to style her hair, and it was an effective way for them to reconnect on a physical level.

Chap 4

A sauce covered missile halted Malcolm's story at this point, when it splattered against his shirt followed immediately by little girl giggles. "Pip, luv, throwing meatballs is not acceptable behavior, but it was a good shot." He was battling his grin fiercely. Jamie had lost the battle with his laughter.

"Daddy, want out!" The mess of a girl demanded loudly.

"Only when Mum's ready for you to get into the tub, little lady." The tiny girl's face scrunched up in annoyance, and Jamie laughed all the harder.

"Sweet Jesus, Malcolm, she's goin' ta be an unstoppable force one day. She's your bollocking face down at, what, two-years-old."

"Just shy of that. Her birthday's next month." He got to his feet and crossed into the foyer to the bottom of the stairs, "Em, love!"

"Yeah?" Came the muffled response, she sounded harried.

"You ready for a little meatball up there?" He asked.

"Bring her up if you would. Tub's ready and Simon is protesting getting into his pajamas again. I'll take her if you will have a chat with your son." She called back down.

Malcolm scoffed coming back into the dining room. "Why is he my son only when he's being bull-headed?" He lifted his sauce covered daughter, figuring the shirt was already a loss, what was a bit more of a stain now.

Em's voice behind him brought a grin to his face. "Aren't you the one that told me stubborn is what you Scotsmen do, the first time we met?"

Jamie looked smug between his friend and the lady he was becoming convinced was the best thing to ever happen to Malcolm Tucker. "She's got you there, mate. You just told me 'bout that a bit ago."

"Oh, he's just as much my son, Irish pig-headedness in these veins." She grinned as the boy, himself, came running in behind her clad only in his unders. She grabbed Simon and pulled him close. "Oh no you don't, young Tucker. You've just gotten clean, and your sister is a land mine of filth. You stay right here with me." She was laughing, and playful.

Jamie was lightened to see her in this mood after the latest revelations from Malcolm's tale. Malcolm was lighter too, laughing with her at their son's inherited stubborn nature. "All right, new plan. I'll take our girl and get her washed up. Simon, you get the bottoms of your jimjams on, and then you can run wild until Pip's done with her bath. Good deal?"

"Good deal, Dad." The boy buried his face against Em giving her a hug. "Can I wear my Doctor ones though Mommy, please?" He was using his pitiful eyes, and Jamie watched the woman cave.

"All right, fine, I give up. You'll be freezing by the morning though." She couldn't lift her son up for a hug at this point, but she bent to kiss his little Tucker nose and scoot him back to the stairs. "Go get them on."

"Yay! I'm The Doctor tonight!" He bolted from the room then making a racket on the stairs.

Em shook her head with motherly affection. "He's Malcolm made over. Well, besides the Doctor Who obsession. It drives Malcolm mad, I think, but Simon loves the show. He loves Harry Potter, Paddington and Nanny McPhee too. Anything that we watch when we're here, really. He's somehow convinced himself it makes him more Scottish. He'd give anything to be just like his dad." She informed Jamie as she put away things that were cluttering the counter top. He caught some good natured grumbling about Malcolm never being able to put things away in the cupboards over her counter space.

"Tha's easy to see." He was smiling at the domestics running rampant. "He certainly negotiates like Malc."

"Ha, we both know that Malcolm Tucker does not negotiate. He threatens and postures until he gets his way." She had a fondness covering her face though.

"Good God, you do know him." Jamie stated. "He's been so unlike Malcolm all evening, I wondered which was really him."

"Oh, it's all him. What you all saw at the office was extreme Malcolm or maybe work Malcolm. When he's home with us though, he's regular Malcolm, although he does pull out a less intense version of his office persona when it's time to discipline if needed. I'm just there to make him clean up his language, and not scare the living shit out of our kids." They shared a laugh at that. "I'm joking really. He's never lost his temper at the kids. With me occasionally, but never them. I think it's his own experiences with his father keeping him calm. He's better with discipline than I am because of it. I'm the one losing my temper more often than not."

Em had started clearing away dinner now. The uneaten food from the kids plates went to rubbish first. Then into the sink went dishes, the rest of their plates followed, and the leftovers were neatly put away in the refrigerator. "Can I help any?" Jamie offered.

"No, no it's fine, you're a guest, besides this is nothing." She had the water going and efficiently started the dishes. Keeping up a flow of conversation with Jamie all the while. Talking about her plans to rearrange things a little once the baby was born and they needed more space. He asked about her work. She was teaching sign these days, mostly to adults that had lost their hearing, and she was sharing an amusing story about a big misunderstanding with one of her last clients when Malcolm returned. Piper was close on his heels in a pair of pajamas covered with some cartoon princess in pink. Malcolm had changed as well into a comfortable pair of lounge pants and a fleece pullover. He threw a grin at Jamie, then made a beeline for his wife. His arms slipped around her distended waist, with a pat to her tummy. "Hello, Mrs. Tucker, kids are all clean and ready for bed. Simon even has his clothes on."

"Well done, my love. How about Pip's hair? Is it brushed and dried?" Em was leaning back into him ignoring the last of the dishes, as he nuzzled just below her ear. She shivered against him and Malcolm grinned into her skin.

"Have a look for yourself, love." He pulled back a bit and Em caught sight of her daughter watching Jamie from before his knees, finally curious about their guest. Her hair was dried and brushed and falling in charming little ringlets around her chubby face.

"Well done indeed, Tucker." She smacked a kiss to his lips. "Perhaps you should rescue your friend?"

"Ha, let the cub have him. This alpha is busy with his girl." He turned her from the sink and pulled her in for a very thorough kiss.

"Later, mister alpha." Em was laughing when he'd done with her. "Jamie, I'll relieve you of your bug-eyed admirer."

Jamie was, at that moment, lifting the toddler off the floor. "No it's fine. She's a charmer she is."

"Takes after her mam." Malcolm had wrapped himself back around his wife. They were ambushed by a five-year-old heat-seeker launching himself in their direction. "Oh, that's how it is then?" Malcolm caught the boy midair and launched his own attack tickling ribs mercilessly.

"Here we go, you're winding him up, you know?" Em came and retrieved her daughter from Jamie's lap. "He does this every time. Simon is never getting to sleep now is he my girl?"

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this relaxed, Mate." Jamie stated with a grin. "Here we all thought you were a closet playboy, and you've got a perfect family situation going on." Em dropped back to Malcolm's side then. He was holding Simon in one arm, the boy now content to hold on to his father.

"You know, after all these years spent mostly apart, I'm learning that it's only perfect when we're together like this." Malcolm sighed and slipped his free arm around his wife and daughter. "These last few years have been a hell, and 'm glad to be done with it."

"Just to warn you, there's rumbles around there that Nicola is looking to pull you back in." Jamie informed as they headed back into the sitting room and the Tuckers all piled onto the couch, while Jamie took a seat across from them on one of the chairs.

"Not gonna happen." Malcolm stated firmly. "I've already announced I'm finished with politics. That is over and now I'm focusing on my family." He was saying it to Em more than anyone else in the room.

"Thanks, hon. It's our time now. I'm sick of missing you. I'm sick of you missing moments with them. I'm sick of them having all the perks of divorced parents without an actual divorce." She indicated the kids on their laps. "I've taken a sabbatical until after the baby comes, and I'm seriously considering not going back. Between the two of us we have more than enough invested to live off the interest for a good while."

"You've really thought this out, then?" Jamie was watching the couple watch each other.

Emmaline turned back to him. "I have, hell, I've been planning for it for years now. Malcolm said, all those years ago, that one day we'd be at a point where one of us was ready to bend. I think we both are at that point now. I've been there a while, but it's always better when two people bend to meet in the middle, rather than one doing all the compromising. We learned that over the years, and we're still here." She shifted abruptly, and took Malcolm's hand to place it over her belly. "Apparently someone in there agrees."

"Rugby, my arse." Em flicked his ear for that curse, but just as quickly soothed his lobe with a kiss. "This one's doin' some form of martial arts. What the hell's the kid doin' in there?"

"Tiny Tucker is having him or herself a good stretch." She put Piper's chubby hands to the belly too. "Feel, my girl, our new baby is saying hello." Simon reached over too, and Jamie shook his head at them all.

The moment was interrupted by the door buzzing. "Christ on toast, has someone put out a sign that I'm having a party I didn't know about." Malcolm grumbled.

"Want me to get rid of them?" Em stated, getting to her feet and settling Piper with her dad and big brother.

"Would you, love? Be as scary as you want." He grinned at her, conspiratorially.

"I'll go all Texas native on them, shall I?" She leaned down to peck the original Tucker nose then. "Back in a moment, and then I'll take the kids up for the beginning of the routine." She headed for the door.

"Guess that means you two need to decide what you want to watch and what story to hear tonight." Malcolm informed his children.

"Prissess!" Little Piper shouted.

"As if there was any other choice." Malcolm agreed with his tiny girl.

"The Doctor!" was Simon's pick.

"Nope, not before bed, you know the rule." Malcolm informed.

"But Daddy?" Simon protested.

"No, Son, not happening. Pick something else." He stayed firm.

"Aww, then Ben 10." Simon sounded disappointed.

"Good choice. You can watch the other tomorrow, right." Simon nodded. "Want to get it ready then?"

"I can, by myself?" Malcolm nodded his answer. "Okay, I'll go up now and do it." Simon ran from the room and thundered up the stairs again.

Meanwhile, Em was answering the door. On the stoop she found Sam Cassidy, Malcolm's former personal assistant. "Emma? I messaged you earlier, I didn't know you were already here. I came to check on him, looks like I worried for nothing."

"Oh, sorry, I haven't even thought about my phone since we boarded the plane. I didn't know Mal would be home, so we've been busy settling in." Simon careened past them.

"Was that Simon? He's huge now." Sam exclaimed.

Malcolm and Jamie could hear the exchange, and Jamie showed surprise. "How is it the mistress and the wife get along?"

Malcolm made a sound of disgust. "Why does everyone from the office insist that Sam and I are a thing. We are not a thing and will never be a thing."

"Well, you can be kind of protective for one thing. Another is you treat her a bit differently from the rest." Jamie pointed out.

"Well, there are valid reasons for that. Genetically speaking, she's my daughter, though logistically she's not."

"Wait, what?" Shock seemed to be Jamie's perpetual state tonight.

Malcolm chuckled. "Long story, but it sort of factors in with the story of me and Em. I'll tell you once we get them in here."

The ladies entered shortly. "Is this Piper?" Sam was excited to see the little girl. "She's gotten so big, and look at that, she's Malc's eyes."

"His temper too, but we're working on that." Em stated. Malcolm stood, passing Piper off to Em, and enfolded Sam in a hug.

"Thanks for being there, Sam. It was good to have a friendly face in the crowd."

"Of course I'd be there to support you. You lot are the only family I've left."

Em stepped forward then. "Pip, this is your Aunt Sam, you haven't seen her in a very long time."

"I'll say, she was only a few weeks old that last time." Sam smiled softly. "Hi there, you're such a lovely girl." Piper was not shy at all, and lunged for her. Sam caught her expertly. "And definitely Malc's." She was laughing. "Good to see you here, Jamie."

"You too, Sam. Now, I want to hear more about this." He indicated Sam and Malcolm both.

"Malcolm's told you?" Sam was slightly alarmed.

"Not much, but I was about to. Unless you want to Sam. Not like they can do anything about it now." Malcolm offered.

"Before you get into all that, I'd better go check on Simon. He's likely to try and sneak a Who episode, and I don't want him climbing in our bed later. Back in a bit." Em kissed Malcolm softly and headed upstairs, retrieving Piper as she passed. "Let's get you settled with a cartoon before story time." She was saying as they ascended.

"All right, where to begin?" Sam took a chair near the couches. "No, I think I'll let you tell it, Malcolm." She said after a lengthy silence.

"All right, then. Where were we?" Malcolm had gotten lost in all the time between, "wait, David." He launched back in.

Emmaline had stayed with him for three months before they'd both felt that they were ready to resume their normal lives. She had packed up and they'd gone back to the way things had been. Still talking almost every night, and once or twice during most days. He was impressed with his PA's competence, she was the best he'd ever had, and told Em about her. A number years passed like this, with life staying steady. Em was working with an ambassador that was very active abroad, visiting several foreign countries. She'd worked with him for almost four years, and they finally got around to visiting England. Emmaline got to see Malcolm in action at the office. The two of them actually had a laugh over pretending not to know one another when they were home at the end of the day.

It was after the week spent watching the interplay that Em started pointing out things that didn't add up with the younger woman. Sam was a little too attentive at times, and more interested in his private life than a PA should be. Malcolm didn't want to lose a great PA, but Em was starting to be a bit worried about the younger woman.

She was using Sam's behavior as a way to put distance between herself and Malcolm and it was driving him to the brink. He'd been worse than usual at the office lately. He knew that something else was bothering Emma, and he wanted to get this Sam situation out in the open. It was the best way to get Em to talk about what was really causing her to pull away from him. "SAM!" He called her in after most others had left, wanting privacy for the conversation they needed to have.

"What's up, boss?" She poked her head in the door.

"We need to have a chat, Sam." He sighed. "Close the door and lock it, yeah, then have a seat." He took his own place behind the desk. He wanted the space between them.

"Have I done something, Sir?" She sounded a little nervous.

"Not as of yet, but I think you're headed in that direction. My wife is worried about it, and using it to push me away. I thought it better to tackle this with you and clear the air before I confront her about the distance between us. Then she doesn't have you as an excuse any longer."

"I don't understand. I haven't even met your wife." Sam was quite confused.

"Actually, you have, you just didn't know it. That Yank that came through last month. His interpreter is my Em. I just want to make certain you know that I am happy with her. There is not ever going to be anything between us, even if I wasn't married." He explained plainly.

"Oh God, no of course not. No, you've obviously noticed I've an interest in you, and gone completely the wrong direction with it. Well, there's really no other direction you could go is there?" She had gotten to her feet, and was pacing now. "Please, I'm sorry, but let me explain. I don't want to lose my job."

"Okay, Sam, calm down. I don't want you to lose your job either. Its why I thought we should chat about this." His tone was steady and had enough force to snap her out of her panic. "Sit and explain."

Sam felt the best way to handle things was as straightforward as possible so she didn't hedge about even a little. "You knew my mother, a long time ago. You did something for her, and I was the result." She said simply.

Malcolm was shocked speechless for a moment. "You're Moira's girl." It came out breathless in his astonishment.

"You knew about me."

"I knew she'd had a daughter, that's all. I promised I'd stay away. How is she, your mother?"

"She passed a couple of years ago. Shortly after I started working here, actually. She knew she was dying and she finally told me about you. I didn't know that you were you when I got the job. After she told me, I was curious about the man that gave my mother, what she said was, the greatest gift she'd ever been given. I wanted the chance to know something about you." She sighed ruefully. "Now I have the chance to say thank you."

"I'm sorry about your Mam. She was a good woman. You're welcome, I suppose. Was that all you wanted?" He was still processing what she'd told him.

"Yes. I'm not here because of any connection I thought I might feel toward you. I do admire you, and I feel for you having to do what you do. And I really love my work here. I wasn't planning on ever telling you any of this. It was just nice to know you. I'm not expecting anything either. I had a mother and I had the memory of a father that she told me stories of. I don't need another father, but I like to think of you as a friend."

"Good, that's really good. If anyone here were to know you are technically my daughter…well, they'd not let you keep working for me." He smiled a bit. "I'd have to replace you and I don' think that's possible at this point. Best fuckin PA I ever had, you are."

"Would it help you if I spoke to your wife?" She asked.

"No, better let me explain all that." He offered. "I'm off to DC next week for that conference, I'll be with her and we'll have a sit down chat then. She knows about your Mam. I told her all of that long ago. Don't you worry about Em. I'll have that sorted soon." He rounded his desk and pulled her up to give her a hug. "I'm glad to know you, Sam. I've always wondered about you."

"Well, now you know, and really, I'd like to keep it as friends, right. I loved my mum, and the memory of my dad." She didn't want to hurt his feelings though either.

"I do understand that. I'm a bit relieved actually. Don't know what I'd do with a grown daughter." He grinned a little sheepish.

"Be her friend, Malcolm." Sam suggested.

"Right, okay, talk was a success I'd say then." He wanted to get back to normal now. "Em will likely want to meet you properly once we've talked. Maybe the next time she's visiting you can have dinner with us."

"I'd like that. Mind if my husband and son join us?"

"Not at all. Didn't even know you were married." He was a little ashamed by this.

"No reason for you to, Malc." She put him at ease. "I'll get back to it then." He nodded and she headed off.

A week later, Malcolm found himself as worried as he'd been because of his wife since they'd lost David. She was standoffish and short with him, and on the last night he was to spend with her before returning to London, he finally lost hold of his temper at her. "For fuck's sake, stubborn bloody woman, would you sit the fuck down and talk to me!"

"Don't you fucking shout at me like I'm one of your interns, Malcolm Tucker!" She was in a mood herself. "I'm so fucking done!" She slammed the bathroom door behind her.

"Fucking, fuck me!" He shouted at no one.

"Not much chance of that right now!" She answered him anyway.

He was taken completely aback, and started to laugh almost hysterically. "Jesus, Em, come out so we can have a chat, love. Please? I'm sorry I lost my temper at you." He knocked on the door tentatively.

She slowly opened it. "Yeah, okay, I guess we should."

"What's going on with you, love?" His hands found a grip on her upper arms.

"I don't know, I just keep thinking that you could be happier with someone else, someone like Sam that was closer to hand, and understands exactly what your job is. Someone that you didn't mostly talk over the phone with." He could tell by the tone of her voice that the confession was a relief to get out. Her voice was almost inaudible now. "Someone that could give you a child."

"First off, there is no other person out there that could make me as happy as you do, love. Our calls are the high points of my day. Getting to be here or having you there, that's just a bonus, Em. I'd love you regardless. Even if I never got the chance to bask in your physical presence, yeah." He pulled her in tight to him.

"But someone else could give you a child, Mal. We've been trying for years now and nothing. You deserve that, you were so happy when I told you about David." She hid herself against him, but he wasn't having that and pushed her far enough away to connect with her eye to eye.

"I've told you from the beginning that isn't an issue. If it happens then I'll be ecstatic, but if it doesn't I'm already so happy with you it doesn't bear thinkin' on." He wanted her to really understand that, for him, there would never be anyone but her.

She was rejecting that though. "But if you gave her a chance, Sam could-"  
"Stop, there will never be anything other than friendly affection between me and my PA, Emmaline. Get that into that thick damned Irish head of yours. Let me tell you why." He pulled her into her living room and settled her to face him on her couch. "You remember when I told you about Moira. The woman I met when I was a very young man. She was a bit older and she'd just lost her husband to an accident, yeah?"

"Yeah, I remember. You said she wanted a child and asked if you'd, ah, do the deed, because you looked so much like her husband." She stopped abruptly and he watched realization dawn. "Sam is…?"

"Yeah, she wasn't going to tell me, but all this with you…I confronted her and she confessed all. She had been working with me for years before even she found out who I was. Her mother only told her about me as a deathbed confession."

"Still, you should be able to have someone beside you all the time." She persisted.

"Emmaline, stop this now. Even if I was with someone living closer to me, I'd still want her separate from my job. I want you separate because I don't want the press to have a go at me through you." He explained. "I hate we are apart yes, but I love knowing that you are not being exposed to my job and the person I have to be to do that job properly."

Emmaline just shook her head, and pulled him down into the most tender, desperate kiss he'd ever had the honor and misfortune of experiencing. He held her close and worked to change the kiss to just tender. He didn't want her to feel that desperation for him. He'd made his own choices to have the job and he was, by god, going to do it the best he could for as long as he could. He realized he needed to tell her that and so he pulled away.

"Em, I've chosen to do this job, even though I've grown to not enjoy it so much. I chose it those years ago, and I'm going to do it the best I can for as long as I can because that's the kind of man I am. You know that, you understand, yeah?" He waited for her nod. "What you don't understand, won't let yourself see is the only thing keeping me from losing myself to that person I have to be to do my job, is you. The barest thought of you, listening to you tell me of your day or the things that annoy you, your laugh, getting to the moments when I can feel you against me, around me, beside me, the smell of your perfume, your hair, seeing your smile or your tears, all of that keeps me from just fuckin' losing my mind. Loving you is the best thing I could have ever asked to do, and I get to do it. It's effortless when so much in my life is a struggle these days."

Emma couldn't take anymore and pulled him back to her, fingers in his hair pulling him into a fierce kiss. He was the one that became desperate in the kiss this time. He could still feel her pulling away. He knew now she thought it was for his own good. He was trying to make her see that it wasn't, but she wasn't listening to him. She didn't want to hear him, and so he decided to show her. He didn't give her the chance to protest, locking his lips to hers and having her there, on the couch, in a frantic attempt to keep her from turning away from him.

By the time he'd been back to London a month, he still didn't know how well it had worked. She called him less frequently, it was him calling her these days. They still talked for hours, but the conversations felt different. She was still holding back, and after a bit the thought of speaking to her became agony. He didn't know what he could say or do to keep her, and so he left it alone. Minister cock-ups became his outlet for his fears, and no one save Sam was protected from a good Tuckering. Even his, so called, friends started to avoid him, and that made his mood worse.

He'd actively begun avoiding Emma's infrequent calls. Hadn't answered in over a week because his fear that the next call would be the one ending them became unconquerable. Even when her calls started to come daily again, then several times a day, he refused to answer, and he couldn't bear to listen to the messages after that first time when her voice had been so unrecognizable and she'd asked him to call her because 'Malcolm, we need to talk.'

Sam was starting to really worry about his mood and lack of appetite when a vaguely familiar face showed up in the halls of Number Ten. Sam remembered what Malcolm had said about his wife, and recognized her from the earlier visit. She watched as Ollie Reader tried to stop the woman, and was put in his place with as much free flowing filth as had ever come out of Malcolm's trap on a bad day. Sam caught something about ripping his arm off and shoving it so far up his ass that he'd be licking shit off his finger tips, it pulled a grin from her. Emmaline Tucker was indeed Malcolm's perfect match with that mouth on her, and she had a thunderous expression that rivaled Malc's best bollocking face any day of the week.

After she'd scared Ollie right out of her way, she strode purposefully up to Sam's desk. "Where is he?" The tone was low and dangerous.

"He's in his office. He's got a meeting though." Sam was feeling protective of the man.

"Do I look like I give one fuck about who he's talking to?" Emma was gritting her teeth so hard the tendons in her jaw were standing out. "Clear his schedule for the next hour at least, please Sam. He's been ignoring my calls and messages for a while now, and I've had enough."

"Well, he's had his reasons, I'm sure." Sam said a little acidly. Malcolm hadn't had to confide in her for Sam to know what was going on. "I've had the impression you basically shut him out."

"Yeah, I did, because I'm the biggest idiot on the planet. I have been trying to open the lines of communication and get us back to normal. I needed time to think about things, figure out how I felt about myself. What I felt for him was never in question, just whether or not he should feel the same about me. So, I'm going in there and I'm kicking out whoever is in there already, and then I'm going to have a shout, as he says." She was shouting now, and Sam thought it about time too.

Malcolm heard the end of her tirade, and he cringed at the thought of what was to come. "Fuck! She's here. Didn't think she'd come here. Niclola, fuck off." The door slammed open and Sam was apologizing profusely as Em strode in.

"Lady, I don't know who you are, but you need to get the fuck out of this office or I'll remove you myself." Em's voice was low and dangerous and the Texas drawl, that she'd worked so hard to neutralize, was out in full force. Malcolm knew that she was beyond pissed at that point. He'd only ever seen her like this a few times and never directed at him.

"Pardon me?" Nicola was indignant. "Watch your tone with me, you great Yank." It was absolutely the wrong thing to say. Emmaline strode over and grabbed the woman by the arm, hauling her to her feet.

"Look you English cow, I will use whatever tone I fucking like and if you don't like it you can take it and shove it up your ass until you choke on it. I need to talk with Malcolm 'Fucking' Tucker, and you need to not be here for it to happen." She'd been manhandling a shocked Nicola over to and out of the door. She ended with the office door slammed in Nicola and Sam's faces. She locked it before turning to look at her husband. "Any other ways in here that I need to lock up?"

Malcolm had basked in her handling of Nicola, good God how he loved this woman, but now worries were taking over. He felt nauseous, but crossed to and locked the pantry door. He turned, back to it, and leaned against the door just watching her warily. He took her in, having missed her painfully these last weeks. He marveled that something so petite had the power to destroy him utterly, and he was petrified that she was about to. He looked away then. He wouldn't be the one to start the conversation that ended the best part of his life. He didn't have to wait long for her to start it for him.

"I have just one question for you, Tucker. Is this how we end? Are the last few weeks of unanswered calls your way of letting me know it's done between us?" Her voice was lower, and her tone was less anger and more hurt now. It confused him. "Damn it, don't you have the balls to _tell me_ you are tired of me, that you've finally decided I'm too young or too American or not politically involved enough or what ever reason it is that you're sick of me. You're just going to avoid me until I go away?"

Now he was completely lost, and getting cross. "What do you mean I'm sick of you? Emmaline, you're the one that pulled away. You stopped calling, and then stopped fuckin' talking when I called you. I just couldn't bear calling _my wife_ any longer when it felt like I was talking to some stranger, some Jack Bloody Fuckwit from who knows where. And why would I return calls and messages when you end them with things like we need to talk? I know enough of your Yank slang by now to understand that's your way of ending things. Well, I didn't want to hear it over a call that you were ready to be shut of me. I don't care that you think it's for my own good. I disagree, and I wanted to look you in the face when you tossed me out to the bins."

"Yes, I pulled away, I'm sorry for that, but damn it, I was working through it. I never said that I wanted an end, just that you'd be better off without me. After the last three weeks of no response I decided you'd come to the same conclusion. And then I realized, it pissed me off that when I finally got my shit together, you fucking gave up on me." She was still agitated, but he could see the tears shimmering in her eyes even from the other side of the office, and that settled his ire somewhat.

"I never did, Em. I just didn't want to hear you say we were through over a phone call." He stated, miserable. " I don't want to hear that at all."

"That's not what I was trying to talk to you about, stubborn ass." She was fighting the overwhelming emotions that were trying to rob her of her coherence. "At first, I was trying to open up and talk with you again. I wanted to tell you why I'd pulled away, and beg for you to forgive me being stupid. I was trying to tell you that I had figured out that life isn't worth anything unless I get to share it with you. That what you said that last night we were together, it got through. It took a while, but I did process it and it was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me and that I love you too, God Damn It!" Tears were rolling down her face now.

"You mean you're not ending us?" He was still convinced that she wanted out. "You haven't decided that I'd be better off with someone else."

"God no, Malcolm. I just lost sight of us because I was so frustrated with myself, with my failings, and I had to work it out, Hon." Malcolm started to hope he was hearing what he thought he was hearing. "I can't bear the thought of not being an us with you, even if I feel like I'm not good enough for you. I had to figure that out on my own, and I'm so fucking sorry that I hurt you in the process. I wanted to tell you all of this weeks ago. FYI, just because someone says we need to talk it doesn't always mean that they're ending things, just that we need to talk. You need to stop watching American TV. They over-dramatize everything." She was teasing a little. It gave Malcolm hope.

"What about lately?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You said 'at first,' the calls were to talk about us. I assume that means at some point it changed to a different reason. What's that?" She knew he'd remember that eventually. He was sharp, her husband.

"Well, 'bout a week or so ago, I got some news, and I wanted to share it with you." She had a secret little smile now, and he wondered what it was about.

"And?"

"All I'm saying is, when the mother of your child calls to tell you she's finally going to be the mother of your child, you should answer the goddamn phone, Tucker." She was waiting for it to register and wasn't disappointed when it did.

"Are you having me on then?" His face was complete shock. She just shook her head and watched him. "You're fuckin' kidding me right now?"

"No, you bull's eyed the hell outta that last shot on the couch, Malcolm, or maybe one of the times in the bedroom that night." She was grinning and crying now. "I don't want to do this alone, Mal." She sounded petrified.

"The fuck you will. Em, really?" He found himself across the room now and holding her face between his palms. She nodded.

"Finally, after so long, Malcolm, yes." He was swiping her tears away now with shaking thumbs.

"It took you this long to show up?" He was a little skeptical.

"Well, I had arrangements to make. I had to get things squared away, in case you weren't done with me, because I really don't want to do this pregnancy on my own. I'm excited and terrified, and I'm moving here for the duration, if you'll still have me?"

"Of course I will, I love you so fucking much it hurts, Em." He couldn't wait any longer and captured her lips in a hungry kiss, pulling her tight to him in the process.

"Good, because I feel that way too." She said against his mouth when he pulled away, just far enough to breathe. "I know it'll be hard to get back where we were before my idiocy, but I'm not willing to give you up, Malcolm, even if I think you'd be better off with someone else. I'm too selfish to let you go."

"That's the best fucking news I've had in months, not including this." His hands were resting against her belly now. "You're both okay?" His eyes studied her intently.

"Healthy as a horse and foal." She grinned up at him. "Doc's keeping special watch on the development and everything is good. Strong heartbeat, no abnormalities for being only five centimeters long. Twelve weeks in and going strong." He pulled her back in tight to him then and thanked whatever gods were listening when her arms held on just as closely.

"I still don't want you exposed to the press, especially now. What are we going to do about that?" He asked her seriously.

"I have no problems mostly staying in for the next few months. I don't need outings and such as long as I've got you to snuggle with on the couch or in the bed. I'm not taking any chances this time, even without doctor restrictions. The house is going to be a stress free zone, Mr. Tucker, so get your shouting out here at work." She informed him placing a light kiss to his throat.

"That's not going to be a problem, love." He was lighter than he'd been for months. "Let's get you home then, I don't want anyone here getting a suspicion of who you are. As far as they're concerned, I'm a nasty old man with nothing to go home to." His lips were against her forehead as he spoke and he punctuated the statement with a kiss.

"Okay, you want me to storm out angry-like or something?" She asked knowingly. She liked these little games they played to keep his co-workers in the dark just as much as he did.

"Would you? It would be helpful." He was grinning conspiratorially, taking her hands and kissing the knuckles of each, then her palms. "Thank God this office is sound proof. They'll be standing around gawking like a flock of fuckin' flamingos out there."

"But you heard me coming, I could see it on your face." Em was confused.

"I can hear what happens out there, but no one outside the office can hear what happens in here when the doors are closed. There are some sensitive meetings that happen in here, love." He explained.

"Ah, well then, Mister Important, I'm going to the house, and I'll see you when you get home." She couldn't help herself and pulled him back into a joy-filled kiss that turned heated. They spent several moments just reveling in being reunited.

"I absolutely can't wait for the end of the day now." He pecked her pert little nose. "Make it a good show, yeah?" She nodded. "I'll have my car meet you out front."

"Okay." She pushed him away and steeled herself before turning and storming out of his office in a pretend huff.

"SAM!" He made sure to sound pissed off. His PA came scurrying in and he had her close the door. "Get my car out front. Em needs a lift to the house."

"Worked things out, have you?" Sam was happy for him.

"Indeed, we have. Things look good, and I'll be buggered if she lifts a finger before this baby comes." He couldn't keep the grin from his face at this point.

"Congratulations, Malc! Let me go get the driver up and moving. Don't want her waiting at the curb too long." She hurried off to make her call.

Chap 5

"Bugger me, I knew she looked familiar! I saw her stormin' out that day. She'd do well on telly." Jamie exclaimed.

"Not interested, thanks." Em's voice came from behind Malcolm, and he didn't wait long until her hands were sliding down his shoulders onto his chest to link around him. She nuzzled the back of his neck until the fine hairs there stood out, and then kissed the spot that made him shiver. "The princess and our little time traveler are all snuggled in their blanket castle, my heart. They're ready for their story." She whispered for his ears only.

"Ah, that's my cue then." He pulled her hands up and pressed a kiss into each palm. "Suppose you'll come watch as usual?"

"Oh, you'll have your audience tonight." She grinned wickedly. "Jamie, if you're looking for a production then I suggest you follow us up."

"Evil woman." Malcolm cringed. "Simon's room or Pip's?"

"Simon's. We've been busy up there. The castle is encompassing his bunk bed. They're both on the floor for now, but he wants to try out the top again." She shooed him toward the stairs. "Sam you should join us too. I think it's about time he read you a bedtime story." Em was teasing, but gently.

"Don't think I'd miss this for anything." Sam was grinning, knowing to just what lengths Malcolm would go for his family. The group reached the room to find a blanket castle indeed. Em had gotten up on the top bunk and tacked a sheet up over it so that the sides draped down over the bed. Two more were tucked at the ends of the top bunk and hanging down to the floor, a third tucked lengthwise under the front was fanned out and draped over two standing lamps for a canopy to overhang a pillow nest by the side of the bottom bed. One of the lamps was on giving the interior of the blanket fort a soft, soothing glow.

Two little Tuckers were snuggled in the pillows wrapped burrito-like in their own blankets. Malcolm was laughing at their grand castle as he knelt to enter their cozy domain. The other three adults watched from the door. Em, just inside waiting for one of the kids to beckon her in, as they always did. It was Piper that did it. "Mama, comes and nuggles too." Em crawled in and cradled her tiny girl while Simon sidled closer to nestle into her side, and they watched Malcolm pull out a book of Scottish children's fables. He chose one and looked it over to make certain it wasn't too scary for their little ones. He launched into the tale, he changed the timbre and pitch of his voice for different characters and really got into the story. The result was five pairs of eyes riveted to him during the fable. They all laughed, and Pip especially, was wide-eyed in suspense during the not-too-scary parts. When he was done both kids were fighting their fatigue, and Em decided that one more story would do it.

"What do you think, Pip? Want to hear Goodnight Moon?" She knew that answer before she'd asked. It was Pip's favorite story. They'd read it so much that Em could recite it from memory. Piper nodded vigorously against her shoulder. "Okay, let's get you into bed then. Mal, would you?"

"Of course, love." He wobbled over on his knees and lifted the little girl up and onto the mattress. He surprised Jamie once more by crawling in with the girl to hold her close. "All settled, my girl?" Piper wasn't quite, and scooched around until she was cuddled in tight against her dad. Simon settled further against his mom and rested his head in her lap. The fingers of one of Em's hands ran through his light brown curls. The other hand took her husband's discretely, and she began the story. They were still saying good night to all the inhabitants of the house when Pip lost her fight with sleep, and by the end Simon had too.

Malcolm disentangled himself from his tiny daughter, and lifted their son from his wife's lap before she could attempt to lift him. He deposited the boy in the top bed and made certain the blanket would keep him warm. He bent back under to do the same for Piper and kissed her chubby cheek. "Sleep well, my loves." He turned and slid an arm around Em's hips as they left the room.

Jamie and Sam had already descended back to the sitting room. Malcolm and Emmaline joined them taking over the couch. Malcolm in a corner and Em leaning into him with her legs up along the rest of the couch.

"That was some story, Mate." Jamie commented.

"I've had some practice at it." Malcolm was more relaxed than he'd been even during their shared meal. "Anything for the kids, Jamie. They're so easy to please, it's a shame more parents don't realize that."

"He's been like that since they were born. I lucked out when I met this great looking Scotsman in a little restaurant in DC that I hadn't even wanted to go into that night." She reached up and pulled Malcolm's face down to share a soft kiss with him.

"I'm so glad Sally introduced us." He pulled the band from her hair and ran his fingers through it. "I've missed this. Thanks for not cutting it off yet."

"Don't worry, that stage of my pregnancy neurosis is still a couple months away." She was giggling as she said it though.

"You're goin' te cut it off?" Jamie asked.

"She's done it every time she's pregnant." Malcolm stated, his fingers still twining the loose dark strands of her hair.

"It's just easier with a newborn if I don't have to wrangle with my hair too. There's so damn much of it." She relaxed further into her husband as his fingers trailed her scalp. "You keep that up and I'm not going to make it to the bed, Tucker."

"If you're tired, I can head home. You've had a long day, today." Jamie started to stand.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I could be wired on caffeine and Malcolm massaging my scalp would knock me out. I'm not all that tired. Jetlag won't catch me for a while yet. I'm going to take advantage of it while I can. I have dishes to finish actually." She tried to get up, but Malcolm wouldn't let her go.

"Leave them. I'll deal with the rest after a bit." He rested his free hand over their unborn child and gave it a stroke. "You might not feel it yet, but you're exhausted. I want you to relax and keep your feet up for a bit, please, love."

"Anything for you, Malcolm." Her fingers threaded with his over their baby, and she let herself stop worrying about everything. "So, where's he gotten to in his explanation of us?" She was looking to Jamie now.

"You'd just stormed into his office and given him what for after he wouldn't answer your calls." Jamie informed.

"So you've almost gotten to Simon. Not bad, Tucker."

"You want to take over, Missus Tucker?" He countered her teasing.

"I'd like to hear a good story about Malcolm in the delivery room." Jamie was trying to guess what Malcolm would have been like. Strong and silent pillar of strength for Emma, or a nervous wreck of a man anticipating holding his first born.

"Ha, you'll be waiting a while. He completely missed Simon's birth. He was, ironically, over in DC when I went into labor. He missed it by a couple of days." She chuckled at his dour expression.

"I was entirely pissed off about that, and then I got home to her having named him Simon." He shook his head, and Jamie winced.

"I didn't know that one of your ministers was named that. I just liked the name and it sounded good paired with James. Sorry, Hon."

"Don't be, didn't take me long to fall in love with it and our lad." He pressed a kiss to her hair. "Soon as I held him I was gone. Completely and totally in love with my tiny son, name and all, and I still am."

Em was smiling that special mother's smile thinking of her oldest and the day he'd been born. "You should have seen him when he burst into the bedroom. I'd decided that I wanted a home birth or as close as I could get. The doctor suggested a midwife at a birthing center not far from the hospital just in case. It was actually very relaxing. Almost as good as being here. I'd been home with Simon for about half the day when Mal got home. Simon and I had just finished one of his many snacks and he'd dozed off up in our room. I knew that Malcolm was on his way home, just not when he'd arrive." She caressed his face, tracing the soft smile with a fingertip.

"I'd gone to the birthing center, after my plane landed, thinking they'd still be there. It was storming that afternoon, and I was soaked through by the time I got here." He gave a masculine chuckle thinking of it. "I slammed open the door of our room and then I just froze there, dripping on the threshold."

Emmaline had just settled her newborn son, and tucked herself away after his snack. The rain had started up outside again, when she heard the front door slam closed and a thunder, not caused by the rain, coming up the stairs. She wanted to get up and meet him, but she was sore and exhausted and too content with the weight of her son against her to move. Then the door of their room opened and bounced off the stop and Malcolm was there. Soaked through and stood in the doorway of their bedroom.

"Hi there, handsome man." She said softly. "You look, well, you look half-drowned, but still wonderful." He'd yet to move staring at the swaddled bundle in her arms. "Strip, Mal, and come meet your son." She fairly ordered him. Malcolm did as ordered, getting down to his pants, and finding a towel to stop his hair dripping down his face. He hesitated before approaching his wife in the bed. "Come here, my heart."

Some of his tension left him at her endearment, and he made his way to her side as if in a trance. His eyes once more glued to the tiny form lying against her. Her hand came out to pull him down beside her, facing them. She didn't give him even a moment to adjust before placing that tiny, fascinating bundle into his arms. "Simon, this is your dad. Blame him for that nose, okay." She tucked a corner of the blanket back and Malcolm got his first look at their son's face.

"Em, love, he's a beautiful lad." Malcolm's voice was breathless.

"Of course he is, he looks just like you." Her fingers were stroking through the damp curls above his ear. "Hope you like the name, they wouldn't let me come home without a full name for the certificate. We hadn't really decided on a first name, but you didn't absolutely hate Simon when I suggested it a few weeks ago."

"I wasn't thrilled with it, but I'm over that already." He couldn't take his eyes off the sleeping infant in his arms. Simon's teensy head was covered in a little blue cap to keep it warm, and his miniscule fingers were spindly and clenched in a tight little fist. "He's here." He sounded disbelieving.

"He definitely is here, hon. Just you wait until it's time for another feed. There will be no doubt about it then." She was falling in love with her husband falling in love with their son. "Come up here, and get comfortable with us. Simon and I decided, since he's had such a long journey and since it's raining spectacularly outside, that we'd have a snuggle day in bed. You've had a rather long trip yourself, so we think you should join us."

"I'd love to." He grinned at her nervously. "How do I, uhm?" He was slightly frightened of this infinitesimally small person.

"Just put him in my arm's, Hon." Her gentle tone and her smile for him went a long way to soothing his nerves. He was careful and tentative, but he shifted the tiny boy into Em's arms. "See, easy."

"For you maybe, you've had experience with this thanks to Sean." Malcolm rounded the bed and slipped in with her. He scooted up to her side and pulled her lips to his. "Thanks for our boy, Em. He's the best surprise I've ever been given, love. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Me too, but Sam has been absolutely amazing, and so was your driver." She transferred their son back to him and leaned wearily into Malcolm's shoulder. "I was a little panicked when I went into labor in the kitchen. Thanks to all the gods that Sam was here checking on me." Her lips caressed his bare shoulder. "You're absolutely freezing, Malcolm."

"I'll warm up fast here. Tell me all about it?" He was entranced with the tiny baby making soft sleep sounds against his bare chest.

"I'll spare you the details." She grimaced at the gorier side of bringing a new life into the world.

"Can't believe I fucking missed it." He sighed resigned. Em's fingers in his hair twirling the graying curls around, were soothing.

"We'll just have to do it again so you can be there next time." She chuckled at his shocked look. "I know, I'm a lunatic when I'm pregnant, but if we manage to have another, I want one." Gentle fingers were now removing Simon's little hat smoothing the thick skullcap of downy newborn hair. "It was, well, it was damn painful, there's no other way to describe it, but worth every moment of agony. My water broke while I was at the sink, and Sam called in your driver to get me to the center. Sam stayed with me as long as she could, and I suppose she came and cleaned up the mess after that. It was taken care of by the time Simon and I got home this morning anyway."

"I'll take her a thank you on Monday." He declared. "You didn't have any troubles then?"

"Nope, perfectly normal birth according to the midwife. Healthy squalling baby, enthusiastic feeder, circumcised and sent home to let mom and dad figure out the parenting thing. He's not even fussy unless he's hungry." She leaned over to kiss their son's tiny head. "And he has that beautiful newborn smell that I can't get enough of. God, Malcolm, you make gorgeous babies."

"We do, Love." He was shifting Simon around to lay flat on his own thighs. "He won't complain if I have a proper look will he?"

"Probably, but do it anyway. I did, right after he'd finished nursing that first time, I stripped him down to his diaper and just marveled that we had made this squishy little human." He was laughing with her now as he discarded the layers of blanket wrapping his son. Em had the baby in a tiny, blue sleeper covered in moons and stars with even tinier socks on his feet. Simon's hands were balled into fists as the air hit him, and he squirmed and made an unhappy mewl.

"Now, lad, you're all right. Let your Dad have a good look at you, yeah?" Malcolm said in the most gentle tone that Emma had ever heard from him. His hands were huge next to Simon's little body, as he inspected every part of their child. Em noticed he was reluctant to strip the baby down so she did it for him.

"I think Dad and mister Simon need some skin time." She unsnapped the little pajamas and pulled his miniature Malcolm feet free of the socks. "He relaxes more when he's skin to skin, Mal. It's comforting and it's warmer." She kissed the bottom of a foot and started on his little arms. Once done, she helped her husband get their boy tummy to chest with him. "He's happier when he's naked anyway."

"Well, can't blame him there. Who isn't happier when they're naked?" He leaned over to peck her lips, careful not to dislodge his content child.

"Is that an invitation to strip down with you two?" She grinned a little evilly. "Cause all I really have to do is lose the robe, it's been easier on him and me to just be topless for now. Quicker access for a hungry little mouth." She was grinning at Malcolm's bugged out eyes.

"Is that so?" He was leering playfully now.

"Stop with those eyes, Mal. God they're absolutely green right now." She loved that color of his eyes. It was the color of his lust for her. "None of that for a while. Doctor's orders."

"Can't help it if just the thought of you gets me going." He pulled her closer to them and left his arm around her. They stayed like that for a long while until Em had dozed off against him, and he watched his new family sleep in his arms until he slept himself. He woke to something warm and rather soggy against his chest. Em was still out cold, she'd slipped down in the bed laying with her head against his hip and an arm over his thighs. It was when he felt the trickle down onto his stomach that he started to panic. "Em, Love, I need to get up."

"Hm, what's wrong?" His tone gave him away.

"I think Simon's sprung a leak." He threw the blanket off of them and she started giggling at the trail down his chest and stomach.

"Damn, sorry, I forgot I grabbed the wrong diaper size earlier. This one is a little large. Be thankful he's only peed on you. The other, well, liquid diet and all, it's rather icky at the moment." She got herself up and went to take Simon from him.

"No, I'll take care of it, but maybe you can tag along and give me some pointers." He sounded nervous, but determined. He wasn't kidding all those years ago when he'd said he wanted to be involved with their child. He gingerly scooted from their bed, Simon had slept through the whole situation, and Malcolm didn't want to wake him if it could be helped.

Emma led the way to the nursery that would become Simon's bedroom when staying in London. They got the baby clean an diapered in the right size. Malcolm left Simon with Em to shower then. When he returned Simon was awake and unhappy.

"Good lord, he's got my shout already." Malcolm marveled at the cacophony from the tiny thing.

"That he does." She was shrugging an arm out of her robe to offer their son a nipple. "He's hungry. Guess we slept for a while longer than planned, he hasn't been this upset before." Malcolm watched as Simon fretted until he latched on and went to work having a good nurse. "There we go, that's better isn't it my little Tucker?" Malcolm watched his wife bond with their son over his feeding in utter awe at the sight.

"I didn't know you could get more beautiful, Em, but you have somehow." He felt like he couldn't contain all the affection he felt for the two people in the bed. The two people that made his world worth living in.

Chap 6

"I didn't know you thought that, Mal." Em broke into his memory of that moment. She sounded overwhelmed and Malcolm tightened his hold on her, knowing that her hormones were playing merry hell with her reactions to emotional stimulation.

"Of course I do, every time I watch you with our kids, Love." He traced her cheekbone with a fingertip.

"Oh, god, here they go." Sam stated. "You two are all the fairytale mush I can take." She pushed herself to her feet. "I can't take anymore, either. My kids will have cavities just coming into contact with me after all this sweetness." She was joking with them and they knew it.

"We're only like this for a day or two after a long separation, and you know it. Are you forgetting the huge battle of wills when I decided to head back to DC after Simon got old enough to travel?"

"Who could forget that? I thought Malcolm was going to scalp someone." She giggled. "At least Nicola was there to take the hit for that mood."

"Well, usually Nicola deserved my wrath anyway. She never thought out anything she did, that one." Malcolm stated dryly. "She has lasted longer than most, mind you." Em was getting to her feet, and Malcolm followed her. "Have a safe drive, Sam."

"I will, Malc. Call me when the new one comes, Em?" She exchanged hugs with the other woman.

"Absolutely, and we'll have to get together soon. Maybe take all the kids to the park or something. I'd love to see Jessica now that she's older, and Simon always has a good time with Alfie." She was walking with Sam to the door.

"See you some time, MacDonald." Sam tossed back over a shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll cross paths again eventually." He'd risen when everyone else had. "You want I should go too?"

"You don't have to, its not that late. Sam's just got the kids to get home to." Malcolm offered.

"I still haven't heard what you're like in a delivery, Mate." Jamie was enjoying their renewed repartee.

Em was back now after Sam's departure. "He was a nervous wreck when Piper was born. To be fair, we both were, it was a scary pregnancy. I went on bed rest about seven months in. Bed rest with a three-year-old is basically an impossibility without another adult in the house full-time. Thankfully the delivery part was uneventful."

"That was when the party lost power." Malcolm clarified the timeframe for Jamie. "I got the call just before the elections."

"That's why you disappeared on us, then?" Jamie had always wondered.

"Yeah, Em and Simon were in DC and she nearly lost Pip. Her doctor put her on bed rest and wouldn't let her fly over here. No choice for me. I went to them. To hell with the party and my job if it came to it." He was as serious now as Jamie had seen him at anytime in the office. "They'd already sacked me once. I'd given them everything, and that was the eye opener that there were more important things in my life to put my integrity into."

"I understand that, mate." He had admired Malcolm's determination before now, and after learning all this, he was glad he'd been friends with the man. Sure, he'd been unscrupulous when needed, but that was another thing that made him admirable. He'd do anything for a cause he felt worthy. It was a sad moment that he realized Malcolm no longer felt that their party leaders worthy of that loyalty and dedication. "Wait, what part wasn't uneventful?"

Malcolm and Em shared a look and a laugh. "Em's a force to be reckoned with sometimes." He launched into the story.

They'd made it to the hospital in time easily. Simon was safely tucked in with Sean at Sally's place. All they needed to worry about now was little Tucker number two, Piper Eloise was being a stubborn thing. Em had been in labor the better part of the day before when her water finally broke and they headed here. They'd spent another ten hours here walking the halls and such waiting for things to move along. Piper wasn't having any of it though and refused to get into position. She was still riding high, though her head was down and ready to move.

"Okay, Tuckers." Dr. Hammond came in with a chart in her hands, "we have a choice to make here. Emma you've been laboring for well over thirty hours now. I'm recommending a C-section. In fact, we're already prepping the suite for you."

"No," Em was firm even struggling through a contraction.

"Em, if the doctor recommends it." Malcolm was worried for both his girls.

"No, Malcolm. There is no reason for it. I'm not in danger and neither is Piper. I've been watching the monitors, she's not in distress, just proving she's our daughter. I won't have a surgical procedure needlessly."

"Mrs. Tucker, you're already tired, going through more of this, you'll be too worn out to get through the birth." The doctor persisted.

"I said no, do I need to check myself out and go to a more reasonable hospital, Doc. Where is my doctor anyway?" She asked.

"Doctor Lynch is at a conference upstate. He's trying to get here, but I'm the on call physician in charge until he gets here, and I want to do a cesarean. It'll be easier on both of you."

"Fuck that, lady if you want to do a c-section so badly go do it to yourself, cause it's not happening in this room. Easy isn't always better, you twat. I want a different doctor. A reasonable doctor." She stated. "I did just fine delivering Simon after almost fifty hours, and that was without Malcolm's support. He's here this time, and we are doing this the right way. Scott knows how I feel about this. Call him if you want confirmation, but I will walk out of this hospital if you pursue this idea, Doctor."

"I could have you declared unfit to make the decision for yourself." The young woman threatened in her frustration.

"Look you little bitch, you get the fuck out of my room. In fact," Em got herself out of bed, "Mal, if you would help me out here."

"Em, Love, what are you doing?" Malcolm was quick to his feet and fidgeting at her side.

"I'm leaving this hospital and reporting her unprofessional behavior on the way out. I'd rather chance a home birth alone than one here." She stopped and bent double for a bit. "Hang on in there, Piper-girl. We're through with this place. This cunt is not touching me and certainly not our child, Malcolm."

"Okay then." Malcolm manhandled the doctor out of his wife's room, realizing there would be no negotiation. "If she's using that type of language you're through here. You go find another doctor to take over. I don't care if it's a first year intern. You'll only end up on the floor if you go near her now, and I'm agreeing with her assessment. There will be a complaint filed." The doctor was protesting loudly. "Do not make this harder than it has to be. I'm not above hiring a solicitor for malpractice." The door opened behind them and Emma was there with her bag in hand and her discarded maternity dress back on.

"I said I'm leaving this hospital, and I think if we're going to get to the next one in time we'd better go now, Malcolm." Emma was holding her belly and panting regularly.

"Em, I don't think we've time at all for it. I'll get you another doctor, but I think it best we stay here." He stated, headed back to her as she bent over again.

"Ohhh fuck," Em's tone panicked Malcolm a bit.

"What? Em, are you okay?" He slipped both arms around her to support her.

"No, I think you're right, and we need to stay. Apparently, all I needed to do to shift our girl was move around a little more. Fuck, I need to push." That scared the shit out of Malcolm and he lifted her bodily into his arms and carried her back to her bed. Nurses had come running when Em had stripped off the monitors and things she'd been attached to. "Not Hammond, Mal, anyone else, not her. I will fucking kill her if she touches me or Piper."

"Be reasonable, Mrs. Tucker." One of the nurses was pleading with her.

"NO, GOD DAMN IT! I want another doctor!" Em fought the hands off of her. "I'm in labor, not fucking incompetent. Get off of me and find someone to catch this baby; someone other than that fucktard out there or I'm doing it myself." She left off as another contraction hit, letting out a deep moan in the process.

The head nurse crossed to the bed and checked Em's progress. "No time now, she's crowning."

"Oh, you cheeky little Tucker." Em stated. She was grinning massively though.

Hammond was in the doorway. "Mrs. Tucker, I know I've lost whatever rapport we had, but there's really no time to get another doctor here."

"You touch my daughter, and you'll need your own emergency room you leaky little twatwad." Em threatened.

"I won't, I swear. What if I talk someone through this and they deliver the baby?" Hammond suggested. "Your husband could even be a choice."

"What me? Are you daft?" Suddenly the whole situation was scarier than it had been moments ago.

"I can live with that, but your hands stay where I can see them at all times." Em decided when the next contraction hit. "Mal, please, don't let her touch our Pip." He couldn't resist her pleading look.

"Christ, okay. What do I do?" He followed the doctor's instructions from where she stood behind him, and soon he was helping ease his daughter into the world. He suctioned when told and he supported where needed and he encouraged his wife too. "Jesus, Em, you're doing so good, Love. She's perfect, Em. You're almost done." Then the baby slipped free into his hands. He was astounded how she fit perfectly in his palms. Simon had seemed a much bigger baby than his sister. Malcolm clamped the cord as shown and then clipped between the clamps. Next he took the towel he was handed and wiped down the daughter they'd worried over so long now. He put the squalling Piper on his wife's belly. They all were crying really. He wiped his hands on the towel and a nurse took it so he could round to the head of the bed where Em was inspecting their girl.

Hammond was standing in the background now, and started when there was a tap at her shoulder. "I'll take it from here, Sue. I hear there was a confrontation, we'll talk about it later." Doctor Scott Lynch had finally arrived.

"I'm sure we will, the woman is impossible." She huffed and left the room.

"Sorry I'm late, Emma, Malcolm. Traffic was a nightmare." He came in and checked Em. "Let's give the nurse a moment to get Piper cleaned up and scored while we finish this up, okay?" Emmaline nodded softly and kissed her daughter's scrunched up forehead. As soon as the nurse lifted her away Piper started screaming again. "Someone is very opinionated." The doctor chuckled.

"With me as her dad, I'm not surprised." Malcolm stated and wandered over to watch his little girl's first scrubbing and the APGAR scoring. Piper was weighed and measured and poked and prodded and given her vitamins and a tiny little ID band to her ankle, and finally swaddled tightly and placed back in his arms. "Hello there, my Piper-girl." He bounced her gently for a moment to calm her a bit, and when she'd quieted he turned back to his wife.

Em was sitting up and grinning at him. "Looks like I've been replaced."

"Not ever, Love, but there's a couple of little Tuckers with you now." He assured moving slowly to her side. "Want to hold our girl?"

"You keep her for a bit. She seems content with you." Emma was watching them adoringly. "You've earned your keep this time, Tucker." The nurses were finished with Em now, and moving her to her room. Malcolm followed along with Piper in his arms. He wasn't letting go now. Another nurse was wheeling the hospital bassinet behind them.

They settled Emmaline into the bed, Malcolm handing over a grumbling Piper once she'd gotten comfortable. "I think she's due for a feed, Love." Malcolm sat on the edge of the bed watching their daughter nurse for the first time. She was as eager as Simon had been and getting her latched on was easy enough.

"Hey, once we're done you should call Sal and let them know she's here." Em grinned up at him serenely.

"I'll get to that straight away, Love." He pulled out his cell and pressed the speed dial for Sally. The other woman answered on the first ring. "She's as beautiful as Em, and a hearty eater." He informed as soon as he could get a word in. "You all can come back whenever you're ready." He gave her the room number and rang off. When he turned back Em had Piper stripped to her diaper and was just gazing at the tiny girl.

"We did it again, Mal. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Second most." He crossed to her side and kissed her forehead. "Her mam is the most beautiful."

"We'll agree to disagree, smooth talker." She was grinning at him now. "You did good in there."

"I was terrified, Love." His fingers trailed the soft infant skin on his daughter's tummy. He was very careful to avoid the tied off cord. "Worth it, but terrified. Glad I didn't miss it this time."

"Me too." Their quiet moment was soon disrupted by Sally and the boys. Simon was demanding attention from them both.

"Simon, my lad, I want you to meet your little sister." Malcolm lifted the three-year-old into his arms.

"Piper?" Simon asked softly.

"That's it, son. Piper's arrived, and she is eager to get to know you." He carried Simon over to the bed and let Em give their boy kisses and greetings.

"Hi there, my big boy. Say hi to miss Piper."

"Hi baby." He was a sweet boy all the way round, Malcolm mused at the soft tone of his little boy voice. "So little, daddy."

"Much smaller than you, Lad. You know what that means, yeah?" Simon shook his little head seriously. "It means we have to take good care of her, right."

"And be gentle, too." He reached down and caressed Piper's head as light as can be.

"Simon you're already such a good brother. Come down here and sit with mama." She wrapped Piper up again and handed her off to Sally, knowing that her friend was itching to get her hands on the little girl. She scooped Simon into her arms and hugged him close. "Missed you, little Tucker. Did you enjoy your night with Aunt Sally?"

"Mac n Cheese, Mommy!" He was all grins and excitement that only a three-year-old can show.

Sean shook his head and signed. {He's so excited by macaroni and cheese. I don't get it.}

Em pulled the thirteen-year-old in for a hug before Malcolm answered him. {He doesn't get to have mac n cheese at home unless it's a small portion paired with something else.} Sean nodded at that, understanding that his aunt and uncle kept Simon on a healthy diet with very little junk food.

{Right, got it now. Piper is cute, for a squashy newborn.} Malcolm laughed at that, and pulled him in for a hug.

{Are you ready for your surgery next week?} Mal asked the teen, putting an arm around his shoulders companionably when he'd finished.

{I guess so. I'm nervous.} Sean was looking up at him. The young man still adored Malcolm. He'd been visiting with Em and Simon in London when Malcolm had been temporarily fired from his job. His watching out the window for Malcolm to get home had caused a stir in the papers. People wondering who the boy was.

{That's normal, lad. We'll all be here to help you get used to it. Remember that, yeah?} Malcolm reassured him, and Sean nodded with a relieved smile.

"So you know when you're headed home yet?" Sally asked him.

"Not for a bit. I'll stay with Em and the kids for at least my normal leave time. We'll see after that." He watched her snuggle their tiny girl. "It was hard enough letting her and Simon come back here. Don't know if I'll be able to pull myself away this time."

"You will, and you know it, Tucker." Em was smiling indulgently at him. "You have too great a sense of duty to leave them on your own."

"You do know me too well, don't you?" He let go of Sean to press an adoring kiss to her brow.

Before long Piper was aggravated and fussy and Malcolm took her from Sally to check what she needed. It was a full diaper and he set about changing her like a pro. Shortly after, Sally and Sean took their leave. Simon would stay with mom and dad until they took Piper home later that day.

Chap 7

Jamie sat with a flabbergasted look on his face. "Jesus, Mate, you did the catching? That's bloody amazing."

Em was giggling. "He is so pulling your leg. He stood by me the whole time holding my hand and one of the senior nurses did the delivery. Everything else was pretty accurate though." She swatted Malcolm's leg with the hand that wasn't twined around her husband's.

"Oi! Someday, woman…" They both knew the threat was an empty one.

Em yawned widely then. "Damn, time zone's catching me." Jamie looked down at his watch then.

"Bloody hell, it's gone and gotten late on us." He stood and started gathering his coat. "I should head home. Thanks, Malcolm. For this evening, for it all."

Malcolm had pulled from his wife and stood to take Jamie's hand. "Jamie, you're my friend. Only bloody friend I've got these days, of course I couldn't stay angry with you." Jamie's relief was palpable, but before he could find the words to reply Simon's voice came from behind the other man.

"Mommy? Dad?" He sounded a little off to Jamie. Em, more practiced at recognizing the different tones in the boy's voice was on her feet quickly.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I don't feel very good, Mommy." His face went pale, and Malcolm abandoned Jamie's goodbye to usher his son into the nearest loo.

"Damn, he's quick." Jamie stated.

"Yeah, we've probably both been waiting for this. Most times we fly Simon gets an upset stomach. He's gotten better as he's gotten older. That first flight home and the aftermath was murder." She was watching the closed door of the bathroom.

"Why's he react like that?"

"He gets his nerves up when he knows we're coming here or leaving." A rueful grin made her look melancholy. "It's worse when we leave Malcolm. I'm so glad we won't be doing this anymore."

"Me too, Emma. It's been lovely meeting you, and the kids. I'm happy to know Malc has you." Emma hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for being his friend Jamie. I've hated that he was here alone for so long." They were broken apart by Malcolm's teasing shout.

"Oi! Hands off my wife, MacDonald." He was grinning though. Em was focused on their son being held in Malcolm's arms.

"Feeling better, my little Tucker?" Simon nodded miserably. "Come on, lets go find your medicine. That will help." Malcolm settled his little clone on his feet and Em put an arm around their son leading him in the direction of the kitchen.

"I'll walk Jamie out and join you two in a bit." Malcolm stated leading the other man to the door.

"I'll call soon, get us together again. I'd like to know when the baby comes too."

"We'll keep in touch. We've promised Simon a trip to the Doctor Who experience down in Cardiff. That's in two weeks I think. Last vacation before the third arrives."

"You sound thrilled to be going."

"It's not that bad, I like watching the damn show with 'im." He shook his head and grinned. "Loved it when I was his age too. I think I'll enjoy it, meself." They were stood in the threshold of the door now. "Take care, Mate, and drive safe."

"As long as I can go fast and not get caught, I'll be safe enough." Jamie got into his car and the house door shut and locked behind him.

Malcolm headed into the kitchen. Simon was up on the counter in front of Em, and sipping a cup with an acid reflux remedy in it. The boy looked much better. "Now how did you get up there, Lad?" He asked.

Simon leaned in against his mom. "Mommy helped me." He still sounded pitiful.

Malcolm raised an accusing brow at his wife. "I don't want to hear it, Mal, and put that eyebrow away, handsome. We're okay."

"He's too heavy for you to be lifting right now, Love." His admonishment was gentle though.

"It's not so bad, and we used a chair to get him most of the way up." She kissed the adorable wrinkle that appeared between his brows when he frowned. "I know my limit's, Honey."

"I'm sorry, Em. I just worry." He brushed her bangs behind an ear.

"I'm well aware, Malcolm. Don't apologize for it." She took the hand he'd used to brush her hair aside and kissed his palm. Simon groaned again. "Tummy still upset, baby?" He nodded and both parents pulled him close when his tears started. "It's okay, Simon. You'll feel better soon." She shared a pleading look with her husband and he nodded. "How about you come and snuggle with mom and dad until you feel better?" She offered.

Simon seemed to consider for a moment. "I think I want to go back to my bed, Mommy. I'm big now, I'll be okay."

Em was proud of him even as her heart was breaking at his first steps to independence. "Okay, My Sweet Simon, let's get you back to bed then."

Simon nodded and Malcolm asked, "how about you let your old dad carry you up?"

"I think I would like that a lot, Daddy." Simon sounded relieved.

"Right then, come here, lad." Malcolm scooped the little boy into his arms and Simon secured himself close with his legs around Malcolm's waist. "I'll meet you in the bedroom, Love. I think I'll move Pip to her own bed and let Simon stay on the bottom just in case." They were walking up the stairs.

"Okay, I'll get the shower going." She informed him with a wink, and kissed her son's forehead to check for fever. His head was cool and she let her worry go. "Sleep well, my little Tucker."

"Night, Mommy. I love you." Simon said quietly.

"Oh, sweet boy, I love you too." She caressed his curls, and headed for the bedroom she and Malcolm shared. Malcolm continued on to Simon's room. He gently deposited his son in the bed beside a softly snoring Piper.

"You can leave Pip here, Daddy. Its big enough to share. I can make sure she doesn't have bad dreams if she's with me."

"Are you sure, Simon?" Malcolm was overwhelmed at his son's protectiveness for his little sister. Simon nodded tiredly. "All right then, you make me proud, son. The way that you help take care of Pip and Mam."

"It's my job, Daddy, when you can't be there. Right?" Simon was very sure this was so, and Malcolm didn't want to challenge the way that his boy saw the world.

"It is, but I'll be around a lot more now, so you can just worry about you for a bit, yeah? It'll be good for you to have some back up."

"Like The Doctor has his companions and Harry has Ron and Hermione?"

Malcolm chuckled at his little nerd child. "Exactly like that, and don't you ever change, Lad. I love you, Simon, just as you are. You feel better and get some sleep." He kissed Simon's head and then his daughter's too just because. He left the room making certain the door was open a crack to let in the light from the hall and headed to his wife.

Em was already in the shower when he reached the bathroom, and he took a moment to immerse himself in the vision of her behind the frosted glass of the shower door. She was gracefully rounded by their growing child. He admired her for a bit, appreciating with a sense of masculine pride, that he was the main cause for her silhouette at this moment. He found himself half-hard with just that thought in his mind.

"Are you coming in here, or just going to stand there and ogle me all proud that you've knocked me up for the third time?" Her teasing voice came to break his reverie.

Malcolm chuckled and stripped himself down. He slipped into the stall with his Em and snuggled up to her back. "Holy fucking Christ, Love, I've missed you."

She'd stopped her washing to pull his arms around her for maximum contact. "Same for me, My Heart." She pulled one hand up to place a kiss to his wrist. "You feel, hmm, so good. Can we just never wear clothes again, Hon?"

"Would that we could, Darlin', but I think the kids would be scandalized." His voice was muffled from where he'd buried his face into the crook of her neck and shoulder to take in the clean scent of her skin and the body wash that she'd used. His hands were roaming her taught belly feeling the movements within. "Someone is still very active, Love."

"This one stays fairly active. If the kid stops moving for too long I start to worry, I'm so used to being prodded it feels weird if the baby isn't moving." She slid his hand over a bit and he could feel the vigorous kicking going on.

"Let's see if we can't relax the both of you then, yeah?" As he spoke his hand was slipping slowly lower until his elegantly supple fingers glided into her heat.

"Oh God, Mal." Her fingernails bit into his forearm at the quick intrusion, and he grinned against her ear before nipping the lobe. "Please, Malcolm." He drew the whine out of her letting it do all sorts of delicious things for him. The most noticeable of them was the length of him nestling insistently up into the line of her ass, pressed close as they were it had nowhere else to go. He wasn't in any kind of rush though, so ignored his own arousal to continue driving Em's gently higher.

After so long together, he knew exactly what to do for that slow build he wanted, and before long her whimpers and pleas got the better of him and he took pity bringing her body to a crescendo. He held her through it and brought her down with tender caresses across every part of her he could reach. He was shocked when she bent forward and rubbed against him invitingly. "Don't make me beg, Tucker."

"Jesus Fuck!" He wasted no time positioning himself and then gliding slowly inside. She was fluttering around him with aftershocks and it was almost too much, but he held off until he filled her completely, and started to move in a smooth rhythm grasping her hips tightly to keep her steady on her feet. He wasn't so far gone that he didn't worry what a slip might do.

The sounds coming from her were maddening. Knowing he was satisfying her needs drove him quickly to the edge. "God, Em, tell me you're close." All she could do was moan. He pulled her up bracing them both in a corner of the stall with an arm under her knee to change his angle and she keened in that particular way that he knew, so well, meant he was doing something right. "Come on, Love. I need you to come for me again. It's right there, yeah. Let go, mo grahd. Tha gaol agam ort, so fucking much." Her husband speaking of his love for her in his native Gaelic, with his gravely voice gone husky in his desire, penetrated her mind as much as his body penetrated her own, and that was the end for Emmaline. She gave a guttural shout as she came apart pressed tight to his chest.

Em's end triggered Malcolm's own and he bucked into her a few last times as he emptied himself gratefully. They stayed there pressed together for a bit, him panting into her shoulder between kissing and licking the water from her skin. "Just fucking kill me now, cause I don't think we could ever do better." He finally said sliding from her warmth and turning her for a deliberately languid kiss.

"Ha, you aren't leaving me out numbered three to one, Malcolm Tucker." Em nibbled his lower lip for a moment, pulling a deep groan from him. "Besides I think you and I could rise to the challenge." She grinned wickedly for him.

"That we can, Love." He pulled her tight for another moment just to feel her skin against his. After that, they proceeded to wash one another down, and no more words were needed for a while.

Soon enough they were out of the bathroom and found themselves coming together again after a heated look from his wife had Malcolm rock solid once more. After this joining they lie tangled together on their disheveled bed, and decided to just stay unclothed as they were. "We aren't even close to done, Mal, so let's cut out the headache of having to remove clothes."

"Agreed, Love." He got their arms and legs untangled, as it didn't appear that Em was capable of movement for the time being, and got them under the sheets and duvet before the chill air started her shivering. He finished his task by settling behind her, and wrapping himself around her securely.

She loved how wonderful it felt to be in his embrace like this, after so long apart this last time. "Mal?" She was exhausted and it showed in her voice.

"What is it, Love?" He asked in her ear. He was loving the reunion as much as she was, and that was apparent by how much he was touching her.

"Do you mind Pierce so much as a name for the new baby?" He hadn't sounded thrilled with the name.

"No, not at all, I quite like it really." He said softly into her neck.

"Would you mind giving him the middle name David?" She asked tentatively.

He turned her enough to face him then. "You want to name him for David?" Graceful fingers absently brushed long bangs away from her eyes.

She nodded fighting off her tears. "Yeah, if this is a boy I want him to share David's name. We can tell him where he got it. We can tell him all about his big brother some day."

"God, I love you, woman." He rolled her the rest of the way to him and kissed her until they were breathless. "What do you want for a girl then?"

"Haven't thought too much about it. Figured I'd let you come up with a girl's name if you let me go with Pierce David." She nestled close so she could press her nose to his Adam's apple and inhale the scent of him.

"Well, I'd better get busy thinking on that then." He nuzzled her cheek gently with his nose and she gave him what he was asking for by tilting her face and accepting his lips on hers. "How about Davina for a girl? It's the feminine of David." He didn't expect Em to burst into tears at that, but she did. He wasn't worried as her mouth took his fervently.

"It's a beautiful idea, my heart." Her voice was breathless with her emotions running so high. "Christine for a middle name?"

"I like that, Davina Christine Tucker." He couldn't get enough of feeling her near him at last. His fingers were tracing her features reverently. "Or Pierce David Tucker."

"I think we've just named you, whoever you are kicking me in the pelvis again." Em poked her own belly. "Cut that out, it's time for sleep, you little Tucker."

"This one really doesn't let up, definitely mine." He said with a glimmer of pride. "Let me try, Love." Malcolm's warm hands caressed her skin over their restless child, and he applied just a bit of pressure, as he'd learned with the previous pregnancies. After a short time, the kicking eased off and Em kissed him for his efforts.

"Thanks for that, Dear God, I've missed your hands on me, Mal." She whispered into his skin.

"Not ever again, Love. You are here to stay, yeah?" He asked her.

"No choice but to stay here now. The house in DC sold a week ago. Sally's storing some of our stuff, but I think I'll have her just donate what she doesn't want. All the important stuff is being shipped here." She informed him.

"I didn't know you were selling the house. I'd have helped you know."  
"I do, but you were otherwise occupied here." She gave him a pointed look in the dim light from the cracked bathroom door "Besides, I've wanted to move here for ages now. It was time, no matter how the court case went, to be here with you at home."

"Jesus, Em, now I know I don't deserve you, Love." He wrapped himself around her again.

"Too bad. I deserve what I want, and I want you, my handsome Scot." Her breath tickled against the skin of his throat as he buried his face in her hair. "Let's get some sleep, Malcolm. The kids will be up and relentless in waking us all too soon." Her hands were smoothing up and down his back in a mesmerizing pattern lulling him to sleep. "I'm home, and I'm not going anywhere without you again, handsome man."

"Good, that's very good, Em." His voice was getting heavier as sleep took him. Em grinned and let the sounds of his sleep lull her into joining him.

Chap 8

Several weeks later, and Jamie was a common visitor in the Tucker household. He was still fascinated by the differences in his long time boss. Today, however, when Simon answered the knock at the door, it was not to his 'Uncle Jamie,' but a woman he didn't know.

"Hello there, little man, excuse me but I think that I might have the wrong house. I'm looking for Malcolm Tucker. Do you know, does he live round here?"

Simon stared at the dark haired lady critically before turning back into the house and letting out a shout. "Daddy! There's a lady at the door!"

Em was making her way down the hall from where she'd been tidying the living room. She was much larger now and having trouble moving quickly. "I'm coming, Simon. Have them wait at the door, baby."

A familiar voice came from the closed door beside them. "Em, Love, go rest with Pip. I'll handle it. Might be a bloody reporter again."

Nicola Murray gaped down at the boy before her, he grinned a little grin before stating, "wait here, please." Then the child took off at speed up the stairs beside them.

"Well, well," Malcolm's voice brought Nicola's gaze front and center again, "Em, head on up with the kids. I'll need a bit, Love."

Nicola noted he was speaking to a very familiar woman that was waddling along behind him, heavily pregnant, and looking done in. "You?"

Em stopped and grinned. "Me what?"

"You're that daft Yank that was tremendously rude to me."

"Watch yourself Nicola, that's my wife." Malcolm would normally let Em handle her own situations, but he was feeling quite protective of his family lately, especially his expectant wife. Plus, it was amusing to see Nicola standing there at a loss, completely not knowing how to respond to the situation. "Em, Darling?"

"Not to worry, Mal. I need to go see what Pip has gotten into in the last five minutes." She pointedly gave him a peck to the lips and followed her son up the stairs.

"Come in, Nicola. We can talk in my office." He ushered her in and shut the door. He stopped to shout up to Em where he'd be.

"Okay, Hon. I'll keep the kids busy up here for as long as I can." She shouted down.

Satisfied, he moved on with Nicola trailing him into his makeshift office. "Have a seat, and say your piece." He said, indicating the sofa nestled in the bay window. and took a seat behind the table serving as his desk.

"I assume you have guessed why I'm here then?"

"Oh, I know exactly why you're here. Thought I'd give you a chance to talk before I said no and sent you on your way." Malcolm was pleased to hear that he didn't sound the least bit threatening. It left Nicola at a loss as to how to react to him.

"I need you back, Malcolm." Nicola was persistent.

"No, you need to sack Ollie and get someone competent, but it'll not be me. I've more important things to do these days." As if to punctuate his statement there was a thump and a shrill squeal of laughter from above.

Then Em's firm tone. "Piper Eloise, it is not time to play, it's time to rest, sweet girl. Simon's resting, and Mommy's resting, why don't you come rest with us."

"NO! Playtime, mommy!" She was insistent. It was all muffled, but understandable.

Nicola noticed a secret little smile on Malcolm's face. "How many children do you have, Malcolm? You would be making their lives better coming back."

"No, Nicola, I'd be mucking their lives up going back there." Malcolm stated, "and I've almost three kids. Just a couple more weeks. Look, I've been separated from them long enough. I've already found a few prospects to keep making a decent living and still spend the maximum amount of time with my family. I'm not coming back, Niclola, that's the only answer any of you will get. Sam already talked to me as well." He wouldn't tell her that it was Sam warning him of Nicola's imminent visit and not her trying to entice him back to the party. "I've retired, and I meant it."

"What is more important than the party to you, Malcolm?" Niclola couldn't believe that anything was more important to Malcolm Tucker. "Well, I see your bollocking face is still intact." She observed.

He was prevented answering when a much more clear exclamation came from above. "Shit! Demon's Run! Simon catch her!"

"Allons-y!" There were pounding steps and then a thud. "Ow! She tripped me, Mom! She's headed downstairs!"

"Crap! Malcolm! Piper's loose!" She warned.

"It's fine, Love!" He was amused by their antics. Piper hated naptime.

"No, it's really not! Mal, she has red finger paint and we have cream colored furniture!" Em was sounding panicked.

"Fuck me, she's right. Give us a moment, Nicola." He hurried from the room. Em was right to be worried, the tiny girl had gotten the cap removed and squeezed an overabundance of red onto her little hands. There were prints and splatters along the walls leading toward the den, and he hurried after his daughter. Nicola was behind him wondering if the child were about to receive a Tuckering.

Malcolm sighed relief when he found Pip gleefully painting a wall instead of climbing the couch or chairs. "Look Daddy! Pretty!" She was grinning excited by her art work.

Malcolm settled himself to the floor behind her and pulled Pip into his lap. "It is lovely, my girl, but what's wrong with where you've painted your picture?"

Nicola was astonished at his calm, firm tone. Piper looked to be thinking about what he'd asked. "But, pretty pishure, Daddy?"

"Yes, A leanbh, but what did we talk about yesterday? Remember where we decided we should paint or draw?" He asked patiently.

"Only on paper?" Piper asked him.

"That's right, my girl, and what did we decide would happen if we strayed from the paper?" He asked her softly.

Piper was a little worried now as she asked, "time out?"

"Yes, Pip, when we are naughty we have a time out to reflect why we shouldn't do the naughty thing, but what else did we say would have to be done if we stray from painting or drawing on paper only?" Now Nicola was just insulted that he wasn't being the aggressive Malcolm she'd known so long.

Piper sighed from her toes. "Hafa clean up." She sounded more upset by the thought of washing away her artwork than the timeout. "Is pretty Daddy?"

"Ah, Pip, everything you paint is the most beautiful art in my world, luv, but not all art lasts forever, especially not the art on Mam's walls, right." He kissed her sad little face, and got them up. "Time to find the hot seat, Luv."

"Daddy?" She was tearing up and her little lower lip was trembling.

"Go on, Pip. It's not the end of the world." He stroked her little ringlets away from her face. "Apologize to Mam, too, little Tucker. I know you're only doing this because she can't catch you at the moment, and that's not polite at all, my girl." He watched the apple of his eye head into the kitchen and find her little pink chair. She brought it back out and sat it before her painting.

"Here, Daddy?"

He smiled at her indulgently. "That's fine, Piper, you can decide the best way to start washing it away." The little girl's tears started to roll, but she didn't utter a sound other than a hitching breath as she watched her father. "I know, my girl, but rules are there for a reason. You'll understand it some day, luv. Maybe it'll save you making my mistakes." He retrieved an egg timer and set it for five minutes. "This will be a long one, Pip. We just had the same conversation yesterday, and you did it anyway. I think you need extra time to let the lesson stick." He informed her, and set the timer on a shelf above the girl's reach.

"So she can't cheat the time." Em quietly explained to Nicola's questioning look. "She's a quick study, our Piper. Get's it from her dad." Nicola had jumped a mile when Em had spoken.

"And her damnably strong will." He chuckled ruefully amused. "It's a lot cuter on her though."

"Thanks for handling that one, Hon." Em pressed a kiss to his lips. "I couldn't catch her."

"How's Simon?"

"Nursing his bruised ego with an episode of Doctor Who. He's taking it rough that his little sister tripped him up." She found it absolutely amusing though.

"He'll need to get used to it. I expect she'll be tripping us all up the rest of our lives." Malcolm said with a grin.

"He will, keep an ear out for Piper, will you. I need a few minutes, at least, my back is killing me." Em said and Malcolm's hands went to kneading the muscles of her lower back.

"Of course, Love." He kissed her softly. "You take it easy. I think I'm done with Nicola, though she likely isn't done with me." A thought struck him. "How long has your back been bothering you, Love?" He was sounding anxious.

"Not long, Nervous Nellie." Em chuckled at him. "Stop worrying about this. The rascal will get here in his or her own good time, and I highly doubt that is going to be today."

"All right, Darling, I'm sorry to be a naggy husband." He was teasing her and she knew it.

Em pulled his lips to hers briefly. "You are allowed to be a little anxious, Mal, but stop trying to rush things. You're going to give yourself a stroke, and then where would I be?"

That had him chuckling. "All right, Love. Have yourself a kip then." He turned back to Nicola. " This is more important, Murray. My wife and my kids are more important to me." He stated firmly. "There's nothing more important than my never having to phone my wife and tell her that, not only am I likely to miss the birth of our youngest, but probably several birthdays because of a chance I'd be going to prison. That was the worst call that Em and I ever had. She called to tell me she'd had a good appointment with her doctor."

Malcolm was sitting in his home office staring at the evening headlines of his impending arrest. He was procrastinating calling his wife, but knew he needed to. He didn't want her finding this out from the papers. Before he could muster up the courage and make the call, his blackberry started singing a tune he knew well. It was Emmaline. He hesitated a moment, but couldn't ignore her call.

"Hiya, Handsome Man." Em was cheerful, and it hurt like hell that he'd have to cause her mood to dim.

"Hello, Darling." His voice cracked and he could say no more.

"Just checking in, as promised. Our appointment went well, development is right on track, no abnormalities. It's early day's yet, but Lynch is optimistic. I've got first scans, I'll email them to you later." She was starting to notice his lack of reaction. "How was your day, Mal? You're awfully quiet."

"I'm sorry, Em, Love." He sighed, not knowing how to begin, but determined not to hold this back from her. "I'm so sorry, Emmaline."

"Mal, what's going on there? You're scaring me a little bit." Em stated quietly.

"I know, Darling, and I'm sorry for that too. I've got mixed up in something that could mean a very long separation, Love." He finally divulged in an explosion of words. "You remember I told you 'bout the hearing, and that it wasn't going well. They've gotten some evidence that I've committed perjury. It'll be hard to prove, but there's a chance they'll make it stick." His chest was aching with the admission to her. They were getting so close to that together home they'd both been craving since Simon was born.

"Oh Malcolm." She was sounding shocked and worried now. "We're coming to you there, Mal. You need us."

"I do need you all, but Em, you're not coming here, love. I want you three as far from this as can be. I love that you are supportive of me and want to show it, but Em, I don't want you here in the middle of all this. I'm going to look a bastard in the press, and I don't want to see the kids or you in the papers with me."

"Malcolm, I can't stand the thought of you there alone." Em's brain was working overtime. "What if I set the kids up with Sally, or my mom, or even bring them and leave them with Fin. I can stay at the house with you then."

"I'd love that, but no. Stay there, and stay out of this farce. I'll let you know how things are going and when it looks to be done. Might be a long while though, few months at least." He sounded so lost and alone to her.

"God damn it, Malcolm Tucker. I should be there to support you." She was angry that he wouldn't let them help him.

"I'm so fuckin' sorry, Em." He sighed, knowing he was hurting her, but still not wanting her to be exposed to the vile tactics the press would use against them. "I'm sorry I pushed it too far, and I've cocked it all up. We were so close, love, and I had to just do this last thing. Famous last words, aren't they." Malcolm sounded as defeated as she'd ever heard.

"My heart, we'll get through this. The kids and I will be here waiting as always. We love you, Malcolm. Just, when this is done, can we say to hell with it all, and just be together? Please, honey? I am tired of being separated, Malcolm. We're ready to be back home permanently." She hesitated a moment but finally added, her thoughts. They'd learned not to keep things to themselves over the years. "I miss you so much it aches, Mal."

"I know, sweetheart. I feel it too. You'll be happy to know that I'm announcing my retirement when I turn myself in tomorrow. I love you so much, Em."

"I love you too, Mal. Let me know when we can visit?"

"If I think it's safe for you three to show up here, I'll certainly tell you, but I don't think that will be an option. I don't know what they intend for me, either. I'll have to be in a cell for a bit at least, until the plea and bail. I'm not guilty, by the way. Well, not of perjury, not exactly anyway. More a lie of omission."

"I love you, Malcolm." He could hear the grin and the tears in her voice. He hated hurting his Em. "We miss you, and I'll send you those new scans, and lots of pictures of Pip and Simon."

"Send some of yourself too, Love." He rarely requested anything from her, and it had her worry ratcheting up a notch.

"Of course, Malcolm. I love you so much, baby. It's killing me that I'm not there, Mal." Her voice was trembling and she tried her best to steady it for him.

"I know, Em. I wish my privacy wasn't about to become a circus. If it were possible I'd have you here with me, Love." He sighed, hearing that tremble of emotion she was trying to mask. "You have the kids with you yeah?"

"Of course, Simon just came in, want to talk to him?" He didn't need to answer as the sound of the phone transferring came over the speaker.

"Hi, Daddy." Simon was cheerful as always. "We had a good day today, and we got to see the new Tucker. Mommy let us watch them take pictures. It was cool, Dad, like the scanner on the Tardis when The Doctor was checking Amy over, and it was flashing, but Mommy's scan didn't flash. Pip wasn't watching though."

"I'm glad you've had a good day, Simon. I think that Pip's a bit young to understand what's going on. That's why I wanted to talk with you, son. I need you to take care of Mam and Pip for a bit longer. I've got a lot of work to do here, and we won't be able to visit a while. Might be a very long while, Simon."

He could hear his boy's good mood dim. "But we're coming home tomorrow, Dad."

"I know you were supposed to come over tomorrow, but we'll have to wait a bit for it. I'm sorry, Simon." He hated hurting his boy as much as he hated hurting his wife. Simon near to broke his heart with the next statement though.

"That's okay, Daddy. I know that your work is very important. I love you." He was being brave and doing his level best to not sound upset, though he was probably heartbroken, Malcolm knew.

A trembling hand went through his hair and covered his face as Malcolm's own heart shattered. "I love you too, Lad. You know that you're the best son a man could ask for, yeah?"

"Yeah, Dad." Simon answered him.

"Good, put your Mam back on."

"Okay, Dad. See you soon as we can?" Simon asked him, as it was how they'd ended more than a few conversations like this one.

"Just as soon as, Simon, but not too soon."

"Okay. Bye, Dad. Here, Mommy." He heard and then Emma was back on the line.

"Fuck me, Em he's broken me. You've done so well, raising our boy."

"Not just me, Malcolm. You've helped." Emmaline was better at hiding the sadness, but not her worry for him.

"Not nearly enough, Love. I'm so fucking sorry, Em, for it all." He didn't know how else to make her understand that he regretted not having her and the kids with him more.

"Oh, no you don't, Tucker. You are not giving in to despair now, you fight, and fight hard to get back to us, Malcolm. I don't care if you murdered one of your ministers, you are not leaving us now, you hear me. I'll move there and be in court everyday if you start giving up on us. Do you hear me?"

"I do and I love you all the more for it. I'll do my best to get out of the mess I've made." He promised her sincerely.

"Good, I want regular updates and I will be visiting you, Tucker. I'll leave the kids here with Sally, but I'll be visiting as often as I can get away with. Don't bother trying to pull a fast one on me either. I'll have Sam as an informant. She's already agreed to it."

"Bloody women ganging up on me all the time." He was highly amused at her scheming.

"That's better, hon." She was relieved to hear him sounding more like her Malcolm.

"I'll see you sometime soon then, Love." He was more relieved than he'd admit that she was insisting on visiting him.

"You absolutely will. I love you too much to lose you now, understand."

"I'm very happy about that, Love." Malcolm was fighting a new swell of emotion now.

"Good. Rest, Mal. I know how you get when you're worried over something. I'd fly out now if I thought it would help, but by the time I get there, you'll likely already be in custody. So here's the plan for tonight. I'm gonna settle the kids with a movie for now, and you and I are going to sit on the phone like we did when we were dating, and I'll only hang up when you fall asleep. I know it's only eight o'clock there, but we're staying on the line anyway." She was firm and he loved her all the more for it, and he was helpless to do anything but give in.

Epilogue

"Those months without them were the longest three months of my life, Nicola. You were part of the gang throwing me under the bus, so I'll never work with you again. I'm retired." Malcolm was adamant and Emma was proud of how calm he was staying.

"Right, I don't believe a bit of it, but I'm not going to argue it any longer." Nicola stated, and glanced at the girl still sitting in her little pink chair. Her timer had gone off long ago, but she was just staring between her father and the woman she didn't know. Nicola wondered if the girl understood any of what had just been revealed.

"Daddy?" Piper finally asked warily. Niclola decided that no, she didn't understand, but was upset by the emotion between the adults in the room. Malcolm was upset, and his wife was standing beside him comforting him with gentle touches.

"It's okay, Pip-luv. Come here to your Da." He held out his arms to her and the tiny girl came running.

"You sad, daddy?" She asked after he'd scooped her up and put an arm back around Em.

"Just a little, my girl." He offered pecking her tiny nose.

"I sorry, Daddy. I clean it." She stated.

"No, Pip, you aren't what has dad upset." Em caressed the chubby cheek. "Though you will have some cleaning to do."

"I make it better. Like Mommy, when a boo-boo." She kissed her daddy's cheek. Malcolm couldn't help but feel lighter.

"Yes you do, Piper-girl." He smiled for her and she was tickled to have helped. "Let's see this lady out and then I'll help you clean the walls, Sweetheart."

Em caressed his face gently. "I'll see Nicola out, Honey, you have fun with our girl cleaning up the mess. Too bad she didn't get the pink pillow, though."

"Don't give her any ideas, Love. 'Least its comfortable." He leaned down to press a kiss to the side of her head and whispered in her ear. "Be nice, love. I don't want you overly stressed right now."

"No promises, my heart." She whispered back with a grin. She disentangled herself from his hold and indicated that Nicola should precede her back to the entry of the house. She held her tongue until they'd stepped out on the walk. "Mrs. Murray, I'm going to try to be civil here, so bear with me." She waited for Nicola's nod. "Malcolm has put far more of himself into that party than he needed to and he was ill treated because of it. I'm not saying he didn't probably deserve what he got, because I know he had to be a bastard to a lot of people. That's beside the point." She took a deep breath and continued. "I don't want you to come here again for this. Mal's done with all that. He deserves a less stressful life for as long as I can let him have it. Don't bother us again, please." She was rather proud she'd kept her temper.

"That was very civil, indeed. Truthfully, I do need his experience, but I'd rather not deal with his profane intimidation techniques anymore. He'd be pleasant to work with if he was more like I've just seen him. Is that all an act or what?"

"No, it's not an act. It's just Malcolm when he's relaxed. That job was hell on him and he's still recovering from the strain it put on him. When I met him so long ago, before he was Director of Communications, he looked very different than the string bean I'm married to now. I intend to have him back to a more normal weight soon, and keep him there. He looks older than he should because of the shit he shoveled over there at Number 10. I'm just starting to get that man I met back and not you or anyone else is going to take him away again." She informed Nicola seriously. "Now, please leave." Em didn't wait for Nicola to respond before heading back into the house and setting the locks on the door with finality.

Malcolm and Piper could be heard giggling together down in the sitting room. Simon's thudding feet could be heard up on the second floor, and the new little Tucker could be felt moving restlessly within. Em didn't think she'd ever been more content in her life. She'd loved their life so far and knew that Malcolm did too, and she wouldn't change a thing about it. Malcolm had said much the same to her in recent days. Emma snuck around through the kitchen to watch father and daughter spend a happy time together, and couldn't keep the smile from her face knowing that there were many more moments just like this in store for them. From then on, press be damned, Malcolm's family was no longer his largest secret; he made that clear to his Em when he took out a full page announcement to tell the world that Peirce David had finally joined the family a week overdue.

Their life wasn't happily ever after, it was just life. They had happy times and sad times and times when their personalities clashed and they were angry, but they remembered all the things they'd been through and never stopped talking. Even when separated for a bit, the pair reverted to phone calls lasting hours. They endured. Malcolm found he'd reached that ultimate win he'd always strove to achieve, and it wasn't in Downing Street that he found it as he'd always believed he would, but in his own little home that had seemed so large and lonely when he'd first met Em, and now seemed filled to burst with the family they'd made together.


End file.
